Anti-clot drugs urged for stent patients

Heart patients who had drug-coated stents inserted to prop open blocked coronary arteries should stay on anti-clotting drugs for at least a year, several doctor groups said in an advisory. The advisory recommends that doctors tell their patients to take an anti-clotting drug like Plavix and aspirin for a year to reduce the risk of clotting, which could lead to a heart attack or death. The long-term safety of Plavix in stent patients has not been established. FULL STORY