Heart Beat: Testing a no-warfarin heart valve

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Heart Beat: Testing a no-warfarin heart valve

Heart Beat

Testing a no-warfarin heart valve

Having a heart valve replaced means making a tricky trade-off: Do you choose a mechanical model that can last 30 years or more but requires that you take warfarin to prevent small clots that can form on the device? Or do you choose a biological valve that will wear out in 10–15 years but doesn’t require that you take warfarin?

A company called Medical Carbon Research Institute hopes to make that choice a thing of the past. The FDA has okayed a clinical trial of the company’s On-X valve with reduced anticoagulation. Volunteers at low risk for clots will take aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix), not warfarin, to prevent clots after getting a new valve. Success of the trial could mean we finally have a “valve for life,” says Dr. Sidney Levitsky, a Harvard professor of surgery who is helping oversee the trial.

To learn about participating, call (toll free) 888-339-8000, ext. 226.

Print This

Last updated:	August 21, 2006

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. By using AOL Body, you indicate that you have read, understood, and agreed to our Terms of Service, Use of Content Agreement and AOL Body Advertising Policy. Read more about our content partners.