Researchers lead by Dr.Ken Uchino from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio looked at seven trials
involving Pradaxa (Dabigatran) that included more than 30,000 patients. This process,
called a meta-analysis, uses data from published clinical trials to
tease out a pattern that might not show up in a single study. Researchers found Pradaxa was associated with an increased risk
of heart attack or acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or angina),
compared with two other commonly used blood thinners, warfarin
(Coumadin, Jantoven) and enoxaparin (Lovenox).
As per the claim by the researchers, those taking Pradaxa, 1.19 percent had a heart attack or
suffered from acute coronary syndrome compared with 0.79 percent of
those taking either of the other drugs, they noted. Although there was a 33 percent increase in relative risk for a heart
attack among those taking Pradaxa, the absolute increased risk -- that
is, the added risk for any one individual of having a heart attack if on
Pradaxa -- was 0.27 percent, researchers said.
Pradaxa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in
October 2010 for people with a common heart rhythm problem called atrial
fibrillation. People with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk for
stroke and are often prescribed medication to prevent clotting....
Ref : http://my.clevelandclinic.org/cerebrovascular_center/medical_professionals/clinical_trials.aspx
