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How to Avoid Blood Clots Leading to Heart Attack, Stroke and Early Death – Its Easier Than You Think – New Study Suggests

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Here’s What You Should Avoid to Prevent Blood Clot Formation that Could Lead to Heart Attack, Stroke, and Death – According to New Research

Patients recovering from a heart attack who neglect their daily aspirin regimen may face a higher risk of subsequent heart attacks, strokes, or even death, a recent study presented at the ESC Congress 2023 has revealed.

Study lead, Dr. Anna Meta Kristensen from Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital in Frederiksberg, Denmark, emphasized the implications of their findings.

She stated, “Our findings suggest that not taking aspirin as prescribed after a heart attack is linked to a higher risk of having another heart attack, a stroke, or dying.

“We recommend that all patients who have had a heart attack stay adherent to their aspirin in accordance with guidelines until randomised controlled trials have proven otherwise, and clinical guidelines have been changed.”

Aspirin is mandatory post-heart attack because of its potential to thwart blood clot development, thereby minimizing the chance of another cardiac event or stroke. But as medical techniques have evolved, the long-term necessity of aspirin post-heart attack has become a topic of debate.

This is because while aspirin hinders blood clotting, it also amplifies bleeding risk. The study aimed to understand the repercussions of stopping aspirin over a prolonged period after a heart attack.

Data for the research was extracted from comprehensive Danish health records. The participants were individuals aged 40 and above who had experienced their first heart attack between 2004 and 2017.

They all had received coronary stent treatment and followed their aspirin regimen for the initial year post their cardiac event. Any patients who had further heart complications or were on anticoagulants during the first year were not included.

In Denmark, aspirin prescription pick-ups are documented, enabling researchers to measure patient adherence.

Those consuming aspirin for 80% of the time or less were categorized as non-adherent, whereas those taking it more frequently were tagged as adherent.

Dr. Kristensen highlighted that their analysis focused solely on those not on other clot-preventing medications. Of the 40,114 initial heart attack patients, adherence rates saw a decline over the years, from 90% to 84%, 82%, and finally 81% at two, four, six, and eight years post-heart attack, respectively.

The team discovered that patients consistently taking aspirin had fewer subsequent heart issues than their non-adherent counterparts. Specifically, those not regularly taking their aspirin faced a 29%, 40%, 31%, and 20% greater risk of heart complications or death at two, four, six, and eight years post their initial heart attack.

Concluding, Dr. Kristensen cautioned, “Our results should be interpreted with caution because they show an association but do not establish causality. Since the study is registry-based, we do not have information about the specific reasons as to why patients did not take their aspirin.

“Furthermore, our findings cannot be generalized to all patients who experience a heart attack, as our study specifically focused on those who received treatment with a coronary stent and were not taking other medications to prevent blood clot formation. With that in mind, the results support current guidelines recommending long-term aspirin after a heart attack.”

Image Credit: Getty

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