Blood Test for Plavix Users

A new blood test is designed to quickly and easily measure the effects of Plavix (clopidogrel) on platelets, which are primarily responsible for clotting.

Almost 10 million people in the United States alone take Plavix to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. Inhibiting the function of platelets is how Plavix exerts its cardiovascular effects. However, new research shows that five-30% of patients do not respond adequately to the drug. People who are unresponsive are at much greater risk for a serious cardiovascular event as well as blockage of coronary stents. The VerifyNow P2Y12 test in less than 15 minutes can not only indicate nonresponders but also help determine if it is safe for some patients to undergo surgery.

"Plavix is a very effective medication for preventing strokes and heart attacks,” noted Mark Alberts, M.D., professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA). "However, in a certain percentage of patients, the blood thinning effects of Plavix may not be optimal. The VerifyNow test provides physicians with an important tool to help identify these patients and plan appropriate therapy.”

Medical guidelines recommend that patients stop taking Plavix five days prior to surgery in order to enable clotting function to return to normal and to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding during or after the operation. This means that surgery must often be delayed. The VerifyNow test was developed by Accumetrics (San Diego, CA, USA), which also manufactures and markets the test. The company notes that VerifyNow is the only rapid platelet function test shown to correlate with clinical outcomes.





Related Links:
Northwestern Feinberg
Accumetrics