WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- After a heart attack or stroke, doctors seeking to prevent a recurrence often prescribe a statin medication to keep blood cholesterol in check, and advise patients to take a low-dose aspirin each day to thin the blood and help prevent clotting.
On Wednesday, Bristol-Myers Squibb was given the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to package the two together.
The newly approved Pravigard PAC contains the company's Pravachol (pravastatin sodium) tablets and buffered aspirin -- co-packaged with each daily dose side by side. The Pravigard PAC, including various doses of the two drugs, is available only by prescription.
Pravigard shouldn't be taken by women who are pregnant or nursing or who may become pregnant; people with liver or kidney problems, asthma or nasal polyps; children under 18; or those who are allergic to anti-inflammatory drugs known as NSAIDs, the company says.
For more information about Pravachol, visit the National Library of Medicine. To learn more about aspirin and how it benefits the heart, check the Federal Citizen Information Center.
