Antiplatelet drug found to reduce risk of recurrent heart attacks and stroke is cost...( iveness ratio in the CREDO trial was ...),Health

"In health economics, $50,000 per life year gained is considered an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio," said Dr. Weintraub. "In this analysis of the CURE data, we found that we're nearly 10-fold below the generally accepted cost-effectiveness ratio -- which is a very important and dramatic finding. The data we presented clearly demonstrates that clopidogrel is a very good value for patients at risk for a recurrent cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke."

Clopidogrel is used in addition to therapies such as aspirin to help keep blood platelets from sticking together to form clots. Clot formation, or thrombosis, is one of the main causes of heart attack and strokes. People who have already had a heart attack, stroke or suffer from poor circulation in the limbs -- peripheral arterial disease -- are all at higher risk for a heart attack or stroke.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than one million Americans each year develop acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which is defined as unstable angina (chest pain) and non Q-wave myocardial infarction (mild heart attack). There are more than 1.4 million hospitalizations for ACS each year. The AHA estimates the cost of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States in 2003 to be $351.8 billion.

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Contact: Sherry Baker
emoryheartnews@aol.com
404-377-1398
Emory University Health Sciences Center
12-Nov-2003