Study: Drug Doesn’t Undermine Plavix

Taking a heartburn drug does not make the blood thinner Plavix less effective, a new study suggests. Some people take a heartburn drug to reduce their risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding from the blood thinner. Early studies suggested that adding the heartburn drug increased people’s risk of heart attacks or strokes. But the new study followed a design that is considered more accurate. It included 3,873 people who took clopidogrel (Plavix). They were randomly assigned to also receive the heartburn drug omeprazole (Prilosec) or a placebo. Everyone took aspirin. In the next 6 months, 109 people died, had a heart attack or stroke, or needed a heart procedure. The rate of these events was slightly lower for people who took Prilosec than for those who got the placebo. About 1.1% of people who took Prilosec developed stomach or intestinal bleeding.