Research published in the Lancet today1 links the use of antithrombotic drugs on heart attack patients with an increased risk of bleeding.

June Davison, Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“This Danish study found an increased risk of hospital admission for bleeding in heart attack patients who had been prescribed aspirin, clopidogrel and vitamin K antagonists and that these risks increased with the number of drugs used.

“The risks of bleeding from blood-thinning drugs are well known. However, this is only one side of the story; it is well established that these drugs help to prevent death and recurrent cardiac events in those people who have had a heart attack.

“Therefore before these medications are prescribed, the potential risks and benefits to people will have been weighed up carefully.”

Please note - Aspirin and clopidogrel, are routinely prescribed to treat heart attack patients in the UK but vitamin K antagonists are not.

For more information please call the BHF press office on 020 7554 0164 or 07764 290 381 (out of office hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk

¹Statement issued in response to article: Risk of bleeding in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with different combinations of aspirin, clopidogrel, and vitamin K antagonists in Denmark: a retrospective analysis of nationwide registry data. Hansen et al, The Lancet 2009; 374: 1967–74 http://press.thelancet.com/riskbleeding.pdf