Clopidogrel vs. heparin: What’s the difference? Clopidogrel and heparin are blood thinners used to prevent blood clots. A brand name for clopidogrel is Plavix. Brand names for heparin include Hemochron, Hep-Lock, Hep-Lock U/P, Heparin in 5% Dextrose, Heparin Lock Flush, and HepFlush-10. Side effects of clopidogrel and heparin that are similar include bleeding and allergic...
What is diltiazem, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Diltiazem is a drug that is used for treating heart pain (angina), high blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms. It belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers (CCBs), which includes amlodipine (Norvasc), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia) as well as...
What is mycophenolate mofetil? What is mycophenolate mofetil used for? Mycophenolic acid is an immunosuppressive drug. It is indicated for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients receiving kidney, heart, or liver transplants. mycophenolate mofetil should be used concomitantly with cyclosporine and corticosteroids. Mycophenolate mofetil is a prodrug (inactive form) of mycophenolic acid (MPA). Following...
What is atenolol? How is atenolol used? Atenolol is a beta-adrenergic blocking agent that blocks the effects of adrenergic chemicals, for example, adrenaline or epinephrine, released by nerves of the sympathetic nervous system. One of the important function of beta-adrenergic nerves is to stimulate the heart muscle to beat more rapidly. By blocking the stimulation...
What are anticoagulants? An anticoagulant is a drug (blood thinner) that treats, prevents, and reduces the risk of blood clots-breaking off and traveling to vital organs of the body, which can lead to life threatening situations. They work by preventing blood from coagulating to form a clot in the vital organs such as the heart,...
What is cangrelor, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Cangrelor is an anti-platelet drug, that is, a drug that inhibits the ability of platelets to clump together as part of a blood clot. Cangrelor prevents blood clots by reversibly binding to the P2Y12 receptor on platelets, preventing adenosine diphosphate (ADP) from activating platelets....
Aspirin vs. Plavix (clopidogrel) quick comparison of differences Aspirin and Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) are drugs used to prevent blood clots. Aspirin and Plavix belong to different drug classes. Plavix is an anticoagulant and aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Aspirin also is used to reduce fever, and to treat pain and inflammation in the...
What is Cardiogen-82, and how does it work? CardioGen-82 is a closed system used to produce rubidium Rb 82 chloride injection for intravenous administration. Rubidium Rb 82 chloride injection is indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the myocardium under rest or pharmacologic stress conditions to evaluate regional myocardial perfusion in adult patients with...
Atorvastatin vs. simvastatin comparison Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor) are parts of a group of drugs called statins that revolutionized cholesterol management and heart disease prevention. Atorvastatin and simvastatin both target the same chemical in the body to reduce drastically the bloodstream levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad cholesterol”), which lowers the risk it...
What is spironolactone, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Aldactone (spironolactone) is a potassium-sparing diuretic that removes excess fluid from the body in congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney disease. It also can be used in combination with other drugs to treat diuretic-induced low potassium (hypokalemia) and high blood pressure....