AHA In Brief
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Aspirin and warfarin: Meta-analysis of nine studies involving more than 16,000 patients found "warfarin plus aspirin is superior to aspirin alone in the secondary prevention of adverse cardiovascular events" following myocardial infarction, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando Nov. 9-12. Felicia Andreotti, et al., Catholic University, Rome found the combination therapy significantly reduced endpoints of death, MI, stroke, disease progression and angina, while increasing the risk of major bleeding. Aiming for an international normalizing ratio of the warfarin dose "between two and three maximizes clinical benefit both in absolute terms and relative to serious bleeds," authors note. Regardless, "randomized comparison of warfarin plus aspirin is warranted"...