Aspirin Beats (more expensive blood thinner) Coumadin for Brain Blockage

[HuckleB]

Aspirin Beats Coumadin for Brain Blockage

http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/103/107002.htm

"Aspirin is safer and no less effective than Coumadin for treating dangerously blocked brain arteries, a major new study shows.

That's both good news and bad news. The good news is that many patients with blocked brain arteries may be able to avoid the expense and complications of treatment with Coumadin (also known by its generic name, warfarin). The bad news is that despite treatment, more than one in five patients suffers stroke, brain hemorrhage, or death within two years.

Brain artery narrowing -- what doctors call intracranial arterial stenosis -- happens when fatty deposits build up in the blood vessels of the brain, reducing blood flow. It causes about one in 10 strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), also known as ministrokes.

At least half of U.S. doctors treat this condition with the powerful blood thinner Coumadin, says Emory University neurologist Marc Chimowitz, MD. Chimowitz led a major study to find out whether Coumadin really works better than high-dose aspirin for patients with brain artery blockage. The findings appear in the March 31 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

..."

[candy]

1. No surprise---Big Pharma would like us to think otherwise,though.

[enki23]

2. coumadin is expensive?

isn't coumadin = warfarin? (i feel a google search coming on, but i'm also feeling exceptionally lazy...)

rat poison isn't all that expensive, and i can't imagine the FDA testing costs haven't been paid for long ago for this one.

[HuckleB]

3. Yes, coumadin is warfarin.

That's, uh, in the part of the story copied above. And, yes, it's more expensive than aspirin, generic or not. Further, the study shows aspirin to be safer.

[daleo]

5. Even a small price differential could make a big difference.

Aggregated over a lot of people (e.g. Medicare) this could add up to a lot of bucks. Ditto for even a small advantage in safety.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Aspirin would never be approved if it were just being introduced now

It's too simple and cheap.

[dflprincess]

6. If it were being introduced now

it wouldn't be cheap.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Touche!!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. thanks for the tip

My brain has been blocked for years.

[Justyce]

9. Time to make aspirin a prescription drug & up the price....