Accumetrics VerifyNow™ Aspirin Test Cleared by the FDA
The Accumetrics VerifyNow™ aspirin test, a rapid (less than 10 minutes), point-of-care diagnostic test, measures platelet dysfunction to determine whether a patient has the desired response to aspirin therapy. The test was cleared by the FDA in 2003. The VerifyNow™ Aspirin Test works within the Accumetrics Ultegra instrument to measure the degree to which a patient’s blood platelets aggregate. The results are reported in aspirin reaction units (ARUs) indicating to the physician whether or not aspirin is effectively inhibiting platelet function.
Research has shown that as many as 30% of aspirin-users may be resistant to aspirin’s protective benefits. Aspirin resistance has been associated with triple the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in patients with cardiovascular disease. Once patients are identified as aspirin resistant, physicians may opt for an alternative approach to therapy, which may include increasing the dosage of aspirin or placing the patient on another antiplatelet medication.
The Accumetrics Ultegra instrument weighs about 4 lbs and can be used in hospital laboratories and physicians’ offices.
Accumetrics
