In a world where heart health is a major concern for many, a recent discovery offers new hope.
Scientists have been searching for ways to prevent heart attacks and strokes without causing other health problems, like serious bleeding.
Now, a study from the Cardiocentro Ticino Foundation has shed light on a potential solution that could change the game for people with heart disease.
For a long time, doctors have recommended aspirin to people with heart disease. Aspirin thins the blood, which can prevent clots that lead to heart attacks and strokes.
After someone has a serious heart event, like a heart attack, they’re often advised to take aspirin along with another drug for a while.
This combination is known as dual antiplatelet therapy. The other drug, called a P2Y12 inhibitor, works alongside aspirin to keep blood clots from forming.
There’s been some debate about which is better for long-term care: aspirin alone or a P2Y12 inhibitor. To find out, researchers compared these two options in a study involving over 24,000 people with heart disease.
They looked at how well each drug prevented heart attacks and strokes, and whether one caused more bleeding problems than the other.
The people in the study were divided into two groups. One group took a P2Y12 inhibitor (specific types called clopidogrel, prasugrel, or ticagrelor), and the other group took aspirin.
They were followed for about a year and a half, on average, to see how they fared.
The results were promising for the P2Y12 inhibitors. People taking these drugs had a lower chance of having a heart attack or stroke compared to those taking aspirin.
Specifically, the risk dropped by 12%, mainly because heart attacks were 23% less common in the P2Y12 inhibitor group.
An important concern with treatments that prevent blood clots is the risk of bleeding. If a treatment works by making the blood less likely to clot, it might also make bleeding problems more likely.
Surprisingly, the study found that major bleeding issues were no more common in the P2Y12 inhibitor group than in the aspirin group.
Even more, certain types of bleeding, like stomach bleeds and bleeding in the brain, were actually less frequent among those taking P2Y12 inhibitors.
This study, led by Professor Marco Valgimigli and his team, suggests that for people with heart disease, taking a P2Y12 inhibitor could be a safer option than aspirin alone.
It seems to protect better against heart attacks and strokes without increasing the risk of bleeding.
This could mean a big shift in how doctors help people manage heart disease, offering a safer way to prevent life-threatening heart events.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, so finding more effective and safer treatments is crucial.
This study adds a valuable piece to the puzzle, showing that we might have a better option than the long-standing default of aspirin.
For patients and doctors, this could open up new avenues for treatment, making heart disease management safer and more effective in the long run.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and calcium supplements could harm your heart health.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that blackcurrants can reduce blood sugar after meal and results showing how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
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