Double doses of clopidogrel better than standard doses for angioplasty patients
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
High doses of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel significantly reduce complications in patients undergoing angioplasty, a trial reported at the ESC meeting has found. The CURRENT-OASIS 7 study assessed 17,000 patients who underwent angioplasty having been randomly assigned to receive either the high dose: 600mg of clopidogrel on the first day, then 150mg once a day for seven days, followed by 75mg daily until day 30, or the low dose: 300mg on day one, followed by 75mg once a day until day 30. The more intensive regimen reduced the risk of stent thrombosis and heart attack by 30% and 22%, respectively, compared with the standard regimen in 68% of patients. There was an increase in major bleeding, but no increase in bleeds into the brain or those that were fatal.