Aspirin alone after cardiac bypass keeps heart blood vessel
open, clopidogrel no help, CASCADE trial
At the November 16, 2009 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions researchers of the Clopidogrel After Surgery For Coronary Artery Disease (CASCADE) Randomized Controlled Trial anounced that aspirin alone is as effective as aspirin and clopidogrel in keeping coronary artery bypass grafts open during the first year after surgery.
Many people are required by their doctor to take aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix) after having cardiac bypass surgery to inhibit platelet aggregation. Decreasing the stickiness of platelets is believed to keep vessels used in the bypass open and patent.
Some benefits of aspirin alone therapy include:
Aspirin is inexpensive. Aspirin worked as well as a pricier treatments to prevent narrowing or closure of vein grafts one year after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Aspirin is effective. More than 90 percent of bypasses remained open after a year in patients treated with aspirin alone or with aspirin plus clopidogrel.
Aspirin is safe. The two treatments were equally safe with no excess major bleeding events in either group.
The CASCADE trial was funded by research grants from Physicians’ Services Inc. Foundation, Boston Scientific Inc. and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Canada Partnership.
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