PIONEER Trial a Potential 'Game Changer' in Cardiac Health

One of the biggest challenges cardiologists face is treating patients with atrial fibrillation who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, particularly when it comes to prescribing anticoagulants. While traditional treatment for these patients calls for a "triple therapy" of warfarin, aspirin, and medications like Plavix, a recent study looked at a potential new approach that could help patients as well as minimize some of the risks associated with the treatment.

Kevin R. Campbell, MD, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College of Medicine, said the results of the PIONEER Trial, presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, LA, could be a "game changer" for the field. Campbell noted that with excess bleeding being a concern with patients taking warfarin, the novel oral anticoagulants showed to lessen this risk. The study also showed a decrease in all cause death and hospitalization, Campbell described.