(NAPSA)-The blood-thinning drug Plavix(r) is
taken by almost 10 million Americans to help prevent heart attack and
stroke. Doctors know the benefit of this medicine but new research shows
that up to 30 percent of patients who take the drug do not have a strong
enough response, putting them at greater risk for a major cardiovascular
event. This means that many people may not be getting the protection
they need.
Now there's a way
to know for sure. The Food and Drug Administration has just cleared a
new test that can determine if Plavix is working. It's called
VerifyNow(r) and it involves only a simple blood test. The test is
inexpensive and covered by Medicare as well as by most insurance. There
is also a VerifyNow test for people who take aspirin.
To find out if drug treatment
is really working to prevent a serious attack, patients should talk to
their doctor about being tested. For more information about checking the
effects of blood-thinning drugs, visit
www.verifynow.com.
