Aspirin Toppled: Research Recommends a Better Drug for Heart Patients
A turning point has arrived in cardiology. For decades, millions of people with heart disease have taken aspirin to prevent a first or recurrent heart attack. But according to new research, there’s a better option — one that is just as affordable, well‑tolerated, and easy to take.
The results of a meta‑analysis of seven large clinical trials have just been published online in the prestigious journal The Lancet and presented at the world’s largest cardiology congress in Madrid. The international research team analysed data from nearly 29,000 patients and found that clopidogrel outperforms the widely used aspirin.
Clopidogrel is not a new drug — it’s a long‑established antiplatelet (blood‑thinning) medication. What’s new is the clear evidence that, for people who have had a heart attack, undergone stent or bypass surgery, or have stable coronary artery disease, clopidogrel offers better protection against heart attacks and strokes than aspirin. Importantly, the study found no greater risk of serious bleeding compared to aspirin.
Clopidogrel improves outcomes without added risk
The benefit was consistent across all patient groups with coronary heart disease, regardless of age, sex, or other health conditions. Because clopidogrel is already widely available — including as a generic — it is also inexpensive.
Researchers have long questioned aspirin’s supremacy in secondary prevention. This new meta‑analysis removes the last uncertainties about side effects and bleeding risks. With equal safety but superior protection, clopidogrel now overtakes aspirin as the preferred choice.
“This is one of those rare situations where we can improve therapy without paying a price in side effects,” said lead author Hirotoshi Watanabe at the Madrid congress.
Cardiologists will now be informed of the findings and can discuss switching patients to clopidogrel where appropriate. Unless there is a specific intolerance, the evidence strongly supports replacing aspirin with this proven — and now proven superior — alternative.
Source: The Lancet (DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01562-4)
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