"Brilinta an experimental anticlotting medication currently awaiting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval performed better than the industry standard Plavix when used in tandem with lowdose aspirin a new study finds. Heart patients who took Brilinta ticagrelor with lowdose aspirin less than  milligrams had fewer cardiovascular complications than those taking Plavix clopidogrel plus lowdose aspirin researchers found. However patients who took Brilinta with higher doses of aspirin more than  milligrams had worse outcomes than those who took Plavix plus highdose aspirin the investigators reported. Antiplatelet drugs are used to prevent potentially dangerous blood clots from forming in patients with acute coronary syndrome including those who have had a heart attack. Brilinta has already been approved for use in many other countries. In July  an FDA panel voted to to approve the use of Brilinta for U.S. patients undergoing angioplasty or stenting to open blocked arteries but the approval process is still ongoing. The panels recommendation was based in part on prior findings from this study called the Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes PLATO trial. In this latest analysis of PLATO findings researchers found that patients who took Brilinta with lowdose aspirin were  percent less likely than those who took Plavix with lowdose aspirin to have a heart attack or stroke or to die within a year. The findings were reported Monday in an American Heart Association online conference. One expert said the new information is valuable. The study highlights that if one chooses to use ticagrelor in subjects with acute coronary syndromes it would be logical to use aspirin  milligrams per day and not  mg daily said Dr. Jeffrey S. Berger assistant professor of medicine and director of cardiovascular thrombosis at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Of note there is little reason to ever use aspirin  mg except in the acute setting of a heart attack or stroke he added. A higher aspirin dose  mg versus  mg increases the risk of bleeding without increasing the efficacy of the drug. A study author agreed that for most patients using the drug with a lower dose of aspirin is usually warranted. Patients with acute coronary syndrome have options to prevent recurrent events study lead author Dr. Kenneth W. Mahaffey codirector of cardiovascular research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center said in an AHA news release. Physicians choosing to use ticagrelor in countries where it is approved and available should consider using a lowdose of maintenance aspirin with the drug. The data and conclusions of the research should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peerreviewed journal. More information The American Academy of Family Physicians outlines medicines used to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome httpfamilydoctor.orgonlinefamdocenhomecommonheartdiseasetreatment.printerview.html. SOURCES Jeffrey S. Berger M.D. assistant professor medicine and director cardiovascular thrombosis NYU Langone Medical Center New York City American Heart Association news release June"