Combining the drug Plavix (clopidogrel) with aspirin as part of an anti-blood clot regimen has been shown to be ineffective in the prevention of recurrent strokes and may actually increase the risk of bleeding and death in people with subcortical stroke, a new study suggests.
According to the American Heart Association, researchers examined 3,020 patients at 81 sites in the U.S., Spain, Canada, South America and Mexico. Patients who had experienced a stroke were randomly assigned to either take Plavix and aspirin or a placebo and aspirin within 180 days of symptom onset.
Researchers found that the risk of bleeding and death almost doubled in patients taking Plavix and aspirin when compared to participants who took the placebo together with aspirin. They concluded that the results did not support the use of combining clopidogrel to treat secondary stroke prevention in patients with small subcortical strokes.
Subcortical strokes occur when small blood vessels deep in the middle of the brain are blocked, resulting in damage to small areas of brain tissue. Close to 150,000 Americans are affected by this type of stroke each year and it is the most common cause of vascular dementia, according to Oscar Benavente, M.D., lead author of the study and a professor of neurology at Canada's University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.