New UK guidelines recommending extended treatment with an anti-clotting drug that prevents heart attacks and strokes looks likely to benefit thousands.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidelines suggesting that people who have had a heart attack or stroke should continue to take 60mg of the drug ticagrelor with aspirin to reduce the risk of any further cardiovascular events.
Although a higher dose of the drug (around 90mg) is already prescribed for 12 months to heart attack and stroke sufferers, they were previously advised to take aspirin alone after this time. However, this new guidance recommends continuing with the lower dose for a further three years.
The anti-clotting drug is used because blood clots are responsible for causing heart attacks and strokes and people who have already had one are at a higher risk of having another.
NICE said thousands of patients would reap the benefits of the new recommendation, which comes at a cost of £2 per daily dose.
Professor Carole Longson MBE, Director at NICE said: “Despite the availability of effective secondary prevention treatments, as many as a quarter of people who have had a heart attack go on to have another heart attack or stroke – often with devastating consequences. In provisionally recommending ticagrelor we are pleased to be able to increase the treatment options available to the many thousands of people who stand to benefit from it.”
Because information on the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor, particularly the risk of bleeding, beyond three years is limited, the draft guidance does not recommend treatment with it beyond that period. Consultees have until 5th September 2016 to comment on the preliminary guidance.
