Heparin questioned in heart attack therapy
Despite being given to almost half of all elderly heart attack patients, heparin therapy is practically useless at worst, simply ineffective at best, according to a large study by the Ameri can College of Cardiology.
Researchers are basing the conclusion on a nine-month study of 7,000 patients in four states from different regions of the country (Alabama, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Iowa). By examining Medicare data, they found that while 47% of the patients were given a full IV dose of heparin therapy, there was no final difference in 30-day mortality rates compared with patients who did not receive heparin.
Researchers also caution that with the perceived reliance on heparin, "proven" therapies like aspirin and beta blockers were not being given to eligible patients.
"Heparin is a widely used treatment, but there is little evidence to support its use in the contemporary era of treatment, and we failed to find any beneficial effects in our study," explains Harlan Krumholz, MD, of Yale University, which participated with the college in the effort.
For additional information, contact the American College of Cardiology at (301) 897-5400.
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