Aspirin treatment sometimes a failure

SYDNEY, Aug 09, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Scientists are warning there's now evidence aspirin may not be an effective anti-coagulant in some people and may not protect against heart attacks.

Professor Andrew Szczeklik from Poland and Professor Graeme Hankey from Western Australia presented their latest findings on aspirin resistance Tuesday during the 20th Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostatis in Sydney, Australia.

"There are at least two possible explanations for the aspirin-resistance phenomenon," said Szczeklik. "One is high levels of blood cholesterol, which can, in itself, promote coagulation events in the blood stream. In patients with high cholesterol levels, aspirin in normal doses has hardly any anti-clotting effects, whereas treatment with a statin significantly reduces blood clotting."

He also noted patients suffering coronary heart disease who carry one particular gene are resistant to the anti-coagulant action of aspirin and are at increased risk of an acute coronary event.