Preventing blood clots in people who’ve had  heart attack

Final guidance: NICE, England recommends rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer Healthcare), in combination with clopidogrel and aspirin, or with aspirin alone, as option  preventing blood clots in people after having an acute coronary syndrome.

An acute coronary syndrome occurs when one or more of the blood vessels in the heart become narrowed or blocked. Where the blood supply to the heart is blocked, can lead to heart attacks (ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)) where there is damage to the heart muscle.

People who have had a heart attack are at higher risk of having further events.  In 2009/10 there were 57,000 admissions for heart attacks in England, with 28,000 subsequent heart attacks.

Rivaroxaban is licensed for the prevention of blood clots in adults who have an acute coronary syndrome severe enough to result in the release of cardiac biomarkers into the blood that show heart muscle has been damaged[1]. It is given with aspirin and clopidogrel, another drug that helps to prevent the blood from clotting, or with aspirin alone.

Rivaroxaban is given as a tablet. It prevents the formation of blood clots by stopping a substance called Factor Xa from working. Factor Xa is necessary in the formation of thrombin and fibrin, the key components in blood clot formation. Rivaroxaban helps to maintain blood flow to the heart muscle to prevent further damage to the heart. …more

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