The use of coronary artery stents by percutaneous implantation has transformed the treatment of coronary artery disease over the years. The use of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT), with drugs such as aspirin and clopidogrel is vital in preventing adverse cardiovascular events, following coronary artery stent placement. DAT treatment is required for a minimum of 12 months with drug-eluting stent (DES) placement. Prolonged DAT treatment, may cause bleeding complications in the gastrointestinal tract. For this reason DAT is often combined with anti-secretory agents, including proton pump inhibitors (ex. Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, Prevacid), or H2 antagonist (ex. Tagamet, Axid, Zantac, Pepcid) receptors. However, this practice should be cautioned, because proton pump inhibitors (PPI) may impact the effectiveness of DAT, which may lead to re-stenosis of coronary stent. In the article, Impact of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy with Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Outcome of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation, the authors present the results from a clinical study to assess if proton pump inhibitors (PPI) reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel, in comparison to H2 antagonists for complications causing recurrence of acute coronary syndrome. As healthcare providers, it is important to know the adverse interactions associated with drug therapies, in order to provide education to patients concerning health and well-being.

Impact of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy with Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Outcome of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation presents results from a clinical study to assess if proton pump inhibitors (PPI) reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel, in comparison to H2 antagonists for complications causing recurrence of acute coronary syndrome. As healthcare providers, it is important to know the adverse interactions associated with drug therapies, in order to provide education to patients concerning health and well-being.