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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
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Australian Prescriber Vol. 30 No. 4 2007
Treating blocked arteries
The coronary arteries are the vessels which supply the heart with blood so that it can pump properly. When a coronary artery gets blocked it can cause a heart attack. If the person survives, they may need to have the blockage removed.
After a blockage is removed a device called a stent may be used to keep the artery open. To stop the stent blocking up, patients need to take aspirin and another medicine such as clopidogrel. Depending on the type of stent they may need to take these two medicines forever.
While aspirin and clopidogrel are good at stopping stents blocking up, they increase the risk of bleeding. This is a problem if the patient needs surgery.
