Posted Sunday, November 13, 2011 ---- 8:55 a.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A large study finds that people recovering from a heart attack or severe chest pain are much less likely to suffer another heart-related problem or to die from one if they take a new blood-thinning drug along with standard anti-clotting medicines.

Doctors say the drug, Xarelto, might become a new standard of care for up to a million Americans hospitalized each year for these conditions even though it can cause serious bleeding.

The drug is sold by Johnson & Johnson and Bayer Healthcare for other heart conditions now.

The study tested it in more than 15,000 patients around the world. Results were reported Sunday at an American Heart Association conference in Florida.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.