African-Americans who receive drug-eluting stents are at a high risk of developing life-threatening blood clots, according to new research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
During the study researchers evaluated 7,236 patients who received drug-eluting stents between mid-2003 to the end of 2008.
Even after considering known risk factors such as kidney problems, hypertension and diabetes, researchers found that African-Americans were three times more likely to experience clotting or thrombosis after 30 days of implantation when compared with non-African-American patients.
The rate of death at three years was also higher among African-Americans, at 24.9%, when compared with other races, at 13.1%.
Associate director of the Division of Cardiology at Washington Hospital Center, Ron Waksman said physicians and patients need to know that African-Americans are at a higher risk of developing stent thrombosis, which is associated with heart attacks or death.
"Possible genetic differences in the way African-Americans' bodies react to the anti-clotting medication clopidogrel may have an impact," Waksman said.
Drug-eluting stents are coated with clot-prevention drugs and are implanted to widen narrowing arteries.
