Recent study revealed that common drugs used for the treatment of heartburn and ulcers can reduce the anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel.

Research team led by Eric J. Stanek, PharmD, senior director of research, personalized medicine research and development, Medco Health Solutions, Franklin Lakes, NJ focused on the effects of proton pump inhibitors -- omeprazole or Prilosec; esomeprazole or Nexium; pantoprazole or Protonix; and lansoprazole or Prevacid.

Research team studied integrated data on pharmacy and medical claims from more than 10 million patients, including 16,690 patients taking clopidogrel for a full year. Nearly 41 per cent of study subjects also took a PPI for more than nine months of the year.

The researchers analyzed the risk of hospitalisation for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) which is a combination of heart attack, unstable angina, stroke or temporary stroke-like symptoms, repeat coronary procedures, or cardiovascular death, over the 12-month period when patients took clopidogrel.

Data analysis reveled that the overall MACE risk was 51 per cent higher among patients taking any PPI.

Eric J. Stanek said: "Given the large number of patients who undergo coronary stent procedures each year, and the recommended and wide use of clopidogrel following this procedure, our findings have implications for many thousands of patients across the United States."