Ask The Doctors: 09/07

Assuming that you are not at high risk of bleeding, official cardiology guidelines recommend at least one uninterrupted year of taking aspirin and clopidogrel (Plavix) daily after the procedure. What to do beyond that one-year duration is where the uncertainty starts. Some doctors stop Plavix at that point (and continue aspirin). Others recommend at least two years of combined therapy, while others recommend lifelong therapy, until further data elucidate the optimal treatment duration.