Acute Coronary Syndrome Blog

Effient Sanctioned for Angioplasty Patients

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, July 10 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Eli Lilly blood-thinner Effient (prasugrel) to prevent clots in people who have an artery-clearing procedure called angioplasty.

Angioplasty involves inserting a balloon-like device into a clogged artery to open the vessel. The procedure is usually followed by insertion of a stent, a wire mesh tube designed to keep the artery open. But blood platelets tend to gather around the stent, increasing the risk of a clot that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. Read more...

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When Chest Pain Requires Quick Action in ER

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 20 – Only one-third of the people who come to a hospital with the intense chest pain that doctors call acute coronary syndrome should be assessed for artery-opening procedures within a few hours, a new Canadian study finds.

The rest are at lower risk for a heart attack and won't be harmed by waiting a day or two, the researchers added.

There is often an issue about whether such assessment and treatment is needed quickly, said Dr. Shamir R. Mehta, director of interventional cardiology at McMaster University in Ontario and lead author of a report in the May 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "Settling this issue is very important, and that is why the study was done." Read more...

Related support groups: Acute Coronary Syndrome