WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is advising patients who take aspirin to prevent heart attacks that taking ibuprofen for pain relief at the same time can diminish aspirin's effectiveness.
According to an advisory released Friday, ibuprofen interferes with the anti-platelet effect that helps aspirin prevent heart attacks and stroke. The agency says patients can minimize the counteraction between the drugs by limiting their use of ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen is marketed under a variety of brands, including Wyeth's Advil and Abbott Laboratories' Brufen. Aspirin is marketed in the United States by Bayer AG.
Calls placed to makers of ibuprofen were not immediately returned.
Shares of Wyeth rose 4 cents Friday to close at $48.25 on the New York Stock Exchange. Abbott's stock rose $1 to close at $48.90, while Bayer AG rose 22 cents to close at $48.37, both on the NYSE.
What does that mean?
Platelets are non-nucleated blood cells that initiate blood clotting. Aspirin has long been used as a blood thinner to treat and prevent stroke and heart related clotting problems. It's primary mechanism of action depletes platelets from the circulation and inhibiting a protein in the clotting pathway (COX, cyclooxygenase). Ibuprofen blocks the binding site to which aspirin binds to, resulting in greater than 90% inhibition of activity.
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