According to the results of a new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, a blood thinner drug called clopidogrel may be more effective than aspirin.
Medianews.az reports that a study published in The Lancet journal showed that clopidogrel is about 14% more effective than aspirin in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths.
Interestingly, it was previously thought that this drug carried a higher risk of bleeding, but according to the new results, there is no significant difference between clopidogrel and aspirin in this regard.
Approximately 29,000 coronary artery disease patients were followed in the study. These patients, who have blockages in their heart vessels, are traditionally recommended lifelong treatment with aspirin. However, this new study suggests that clopidogrel could be a more effective and safer alternative.
One of the most striking points is that even in patients who respond poorly to clopidogrel due to genetic and clinical reasons, better results were obtained compared to aspirin. This indicates that the drug could be beneficial for a wide range of patient groups.
Experts say that these findings could influence treatment protocols worldwide in the future. The widespread availability of clopidogrel, the existence of generic (inexpensive) forms, and accessibility could pave the way for its increased use in healthcare systems.
Researchers recommend assessing the drug's cost-effectiveness and conducting large-scale new studies.
Medianews.az
