Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally, a potentially life-threatening situation requiring treatment.Research presented today at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology reveals that the practice of using the anticoagulants aspirin and heparin with the hope of preventing clots in placental blood vessels is ineffective for preventing unexplained, recurrent miscarriages. Two other studies look at treatments for venous thromboembolism, a common and sometimes deadly clotting disorder.?Anticoagulants are one of the most common types of medications in use today and help prevent and treat a wide variety of health conditions,? said Bradford S. Schwartz, MD, conference moderator highlighting this research and Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry, and Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. ?That?s why it?s so critical that studies examining both newer formulations and old standbys, like aspirin, provide practitioners with the most up-to-date evidence to ensure that they are being used appropriately and that the best option is chosen for each individual patient.?The three studies are discussing– Dabigatran Etexilate Versus Warfarin in the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism- Aspirin and Aspirin Combined With Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin in Women with Unexplained Recurrent Miscarriage- Once-Daily Oral Rivaroxaban Versus Placebo in the Long-Term Prevention of Recurrent Symptomatic Venous ThromboembolismFor more informationBellamy L, Rosencher N, Eriksson B. Adherence to a new oral anticoagulant treatment prescription: dabigatran etexilate Patient Prefer Adherence. 2009 Nov 3;3:173-7.Holmes M, Carroll C, Papaioannou D. Dabigatran etexilate for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing elective hip and knee surgery: a single technology appraisal. Health Technol Assess. 2009 Sep;13 Suppl 2:55-62.Fassiadis N. Rivaroxaban, the first oral, direct factor Xa inhibitor Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2009 Dec;10(18):2945-6
