Warfarin linked to increased stroke risk
Thursday, December 19, 2013
A widely-used anti-clotting pill can double the risk of stroke when patients with a faulty heart rhythm first start taking it, a study has found.
By John von Radowitz
Although only a small number of patients are believed to be at risk, the study authors urged doctors to be vigilant.
Warfarin, originally developed as a rat poison, is the most commonly prescribed oral anti-clotting agent.
Scientists carrying out the new research analysed data on 70,766 adult patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), which occurs when the heart pumps haphazardly instead of with a steady beat.
AF leads to blood pooling, thereby increasing the risk of clotting and strokes.
Over a 10-year period, 5,519 of the patients suffered a stroke. The study found during the first 30 days of treatment, warfarin increased the risk of ischaemic stroke one caused by the blockage of blood flow to the brain by 71%.
The risk peaked on the third day after starting warfarin, when patients on the drug were more than twice as likely to have a stroke than those not treated with it.
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Warfarin linked to ‘increased stroke risk’