Can a common blood thinner stop silent heart attacks?
NCT ID NCT02110303
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether a blood thinner called ticagrelor can lower heart attack risk in people with high-risk fatty plaques in their heart arteries. Researchers used a special PET scan to find these plaques in 220 patients with coronary artery disease. Participants took either ticagrelor or a placebo for 12 months to see if the drug reduced markers of heart injury.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ticagrelor (blood thinner)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that ticagrelor reduces heart attack risk in people with silent plaque ruptures, leading to better prevention strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 2/3 trial with only 220 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Ticagrelor also increases bleeding risk, which could outweigh benefits.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
-
220 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Mar 2015
- Finished
-
Apr 2018
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
40 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients aged ≥40 years with angiographically proven multivessel coronary artery disease defined as at least two major epicardial vessels with any combination of either (a) \>50% luminal stenosis, or (b) previous revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery). * Provision of informed consent prior to any study specific procedures Exclusion Criteria: * An acute coronary syndrome within the last 12 months * An indication for dual anti-platelet therapy, such as drug eluting stent * Inability to take aspirin * Receiving thienopyridine therapy such as clopidogrel or prasugrel * Percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery within the last 3 months * Inability or unwilling to give informed consent * Woman with child-bearing potential and who are breastfeeding will not be enrolled into the trial (woman who have experienced menarche, are pre-menopausal, have not been sterilised or who are currently pregnant) * Known hypersensitivity to ticagrelor or one of its excipients * Active pathological bleeding or bleeding diathesis * Significant thrombocytopenia: \<100 x 10\^9 /L * History of intracranial haemorrhage * Moderate to severe liver impairment (Child's Grade B or C) * Maintenance therapy with strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, nefazodone, ritonavir, indinavir, atazanavir, or clarithromycin * Major intercurrent illness or life expectancy \<1 year * Renal dysfunction (eGFR ≤30 mL/min/1.73 m2) * Contraindication to iodinated contrast agents * Planned coronary revascularization or major non-cardiac surgery in the next 12 months * Maintenance therapy with simvastatin at doses greater than 40mg daily * Receiving oral anticoagulants including warfarin, rivaroxaban, dabigatran or apixaban.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Edinburgh Heart Centre
Edinburgh, Lothian, EH16 4SA, United Kingdom
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