A safer antiplatelet treatment for women after a heart attack
Observation
Observation
When standard care isn’t one-size-fits-all
When someone has a heart attack, odds are they will undergo an angioplasty (a widening of the arteries) and receive a dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor and aspirin to prevent subsequent heart attacks.
However, 20 to 35% of patients — mostly women — are not eligible for an angioplasty and are only treated with medication. But this dual antiplatelet therapy leads to a higher risk of bleeding. In fact, current recommendations fail to account for female biology in these complex and understudied cases.
And yet, women are twice as likely to die of a heart attack than men.
Goal
A safer, more targeted aspirin-free approach
The PANTHEON study led by Dr. Guillaume Marquis-Gravel aims to compare two strategies:
- The currently recommended dual therapy (ticagrelor + aspirin)
- Ticagrelor on its own (no aspirin)
Their hypothesis: the use of ticagrelor on its own could maintain effective protection against heart attacks, strokes, and death while significantly reducing the risk of bleeding.
This multi-centre randomized study aims to document the effects in women who are too often underrepresented in clinical studies.
Impact
Making Montreal a global leader in research
The PANTHEON study is reaffirming the MHI as a global leader in clinical research. Once the implementation phase complete, the study will expand to nearly 40 hospitals in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Revolutionizing post-heart attack care will result in:
- A safer strategy for women
- Antithrombotic treatments that are better tolerated and provide the same level of protection with a lower risk of bleeding
- Data specific to women to guide clinical recommendations
Every year, 25,000 Canadian women suffer a heart attack. It’s time to work together to improve treatments.