Proton pump inhibitors and clopidogrel: Is it a significant drug interaction?

Importance of the field: Clopidogrel is indicated as part of a dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) with aspirin for the prevention of cardiac related events in acute coronary syndromes particularly in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Recently, there have been reports of a clinically significant drug interaction between clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors (PPI), which are frequently co-prescribed to prevent DAT associated gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.Areas covered in this review: This review evaluates the risk of GI bleeding associated with DAT and the rationale for the use of PPI. This review also describes the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic basis for the interaction and evaluates its significance on clinical outcomes. An extensive literature search on PubMed from January 1980 to August 2009 was performed. Additionally, abstracts and presentations from key cardiology meetings and press releases were reviewed for relevant studies related to the interaction.What the reader will ...