Blood-Thinning Drug May Improve Clot-Busting Treatment, Save Lives
- Date:
- October 6, 1997
- Source:
- American Heart Association
- Summary:
- For treating heart attacks, the blood thinner hirulog is better than heparin when added to a "clot-buster" to dissolve blood clots and reopen clogged arteries, according to a report in today's American Heart Association journal Circulation.
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DALLAS, Oct. 7 -- For treating heart attacks, the blood thinner hirulogis better than heparin when added to a "clot-buster" to dissolve blood clots andreopen clogged arteries, according to a report in today's American HeartAssociation journal Circulation.
New Zealand researchers found that individuals given hirulog were morelikely to have their arteries "open up" following the clot-busting orthrombolytic treatment. Streptokinase was the thrombolytic used in this study.
"At 48 hours, the artery has opened up in 35 percent of heparin and 48percent of high-dose hirulog patients," reports Harvey White, M.D., of thecardiology department at Green Lane Hospital. The study included 412 patients:140 were given heparin, 136 were given low-dose hirulog and 136 were givenhigh-dose hirulog.
Researchers point out that within the first 24 hours after clot-busingtreatment, about 5-15 percent of individuals may have new clots forming, aproblem that, in some cases, causes death.
White says a large clinical trial will be conducted in 17,000 patientsto find out if hirulog given before streptokinase will improve survival. Earlysuccessful reperfusion or reopening is normally associated with survival.
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Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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