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Although current guidelines recommend 3 months of anticoagulation treatment after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement surgery, a study that included more than 4,000 patients found that patients who had warfarin therapy continued between 3 and 6 months after surgery had a lower rate of cardiovascular death, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-anticoagulation-treatment-aortic-valve.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:35:07 EST news273256496 Rates of hemorrhage for older patients on warfarin therapy are much higher than rates reported in clinical trials, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-hemorrhage-warfarin-higher-clinical-trials.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:50:55 EST news273156648 Research from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson has shown aspirin to be just as effective as warfarin in preventing clots, specifically pulmonary emboli, life-threatening blood clots that can develop in the arteries of the lungs following joint replacement surgery. Their research was recognized as one of the best poster presentations at the recent American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons meeting in Dallas. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-aspirin-effective-clots-joint-surgery.html Cardiology Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:04:01 EST news271591419 Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) experienced more major and non-major clinically relevant GI bleeding when taking rivaroxaban than patients taking warfarin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-gi-atrial-fibrillation-patients-rivaroxaban.html Cardiology Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:59:41 EST news270097176 A novel blood thinner recently approved by the FDA, dabigatran (Pradaxa), has been rapidly adopted into clinical practice, yet thus far has had little impact on improving treatment rates for atrial fibrillation. This is according to a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that examined national trends in oral anticoagulant use. They found that despite rapid adoption of dabigatran for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, a large proportion of patients–two in five–did not receive oral anticoagulant therapy. In addition, although the majority of dabigatran utilization was for its FDA-approved indication, atrial fibrillation, an increasing proportion of use was for off-label indications such as venous thromboembolism. The results are featured in the September 2012 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-undertreatment-common-heart-condition-persists.html Cardiology Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:25:54 EST news267463547 A study of patients treated with the anticoagulant medication warfarin suggests that resuming warfarin therapy after an episode of gastrointestinal tract bleeding was associated with lower risk for thrombosis (blood clot) and death, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-resuming-warfarin-gastrointestinal-tract-linked.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:00:04 EST news267098603 (HealthDay) -- Patients with atrial fibrillation who have chronic kidney disease are at higher risk of stroke or systemic thromboembolism and bleeding, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-chronic-kidney-disease-a-fib.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:45:38 EST news264332729 For the millions of heart patients taking warfarin, an anticoagulant drug used to prevent dangerous blood clots, dosing is a time-consuming hassle. Too little won’t work; too much can be dangerous. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-easing-complex-medication-tools.html Other Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:19:06 EST news263722734 A new study by medical scientists coordinated from the University of Manchester has for the first time used patients' results to establish that "safety indicators" for people taking anticoagulant drugs to regulate a common heart condition are correct. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-safety-indicators-common-treatment-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:29:05 EST news260530140 The clot-busting medicine, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), is safe to use in acute stroke patients already on the home blood thinner warfarin, according to researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). This study helps allay previous concerns that tPA was too dangerous to use in patients on home anticoagulation and would lead to high risk for potentially fatal intracranial bleeding. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-clot-busting-medicine-safe-warfarin-treated-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:00:04 EST news259943495 (HealthDay) -- Newer blood-thinning drugs sometimes have one drawback: In cases where they trigger bleeding, their effects can be tough to reverse compared to the standard anticoagulant, warfarin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-quick-reversal-method-blood-thinner.html Medications Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:52:27 EST news259429851 (HealthDay) -- Minor head trauma patients taking warfarin should have a repeat computed tomography (CT) scan prior to discharge to detect delayed hemorrhage, particularly in those with an initial international normalized ratio (INR) higher than 3, according to research published in the June issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-ct-scan-urged-trauma-patients.html Other Thu, 31 May 2012 09:50:01 EST news257675255 (HealthDay) -- After suffering a type of blood clot called a venous thromboembolism, patients usually take a blood-thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin). But aspirin may do just as well after a period of time, according to a new Italian study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-aspirin-recurrence-deep-vein-blood.html Medications Wed, 23 May 2012 17:50:01 EST news257012884 (HealthDay) -- The new blood thinner Xarelto appears to lower the chances of potentially fatal blood clots in high-risk heart patients, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-blood-thinner-chances-clots-high-risk.html Medications Mon, 21 May 2012 21:30:01 EST news256843717 Acute ischemic stroke patients taking the blood thinner warfarin can be treated safely with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-clot-busting-drug-safe-patients-blood.html Cardiology Thu, 10 May 2012 18:01:02 EST news255891657 Some patients with irregular heartbeats who are taken off anti-clotting medication face a high risk of stroke or blood clotting within a month, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series webinar. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-high-anti-clotting-drugs.html Cardiology Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:02:57 EST news254577764 A review of clinical trials comparing warfarin with other medications for stroke prevention suggests that warfarin was associated with a low risk of stroke or non-central nervous system embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (rapid, irregular heart beat), according to a study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-warfarin-residual-patients-atrial-fibrillation.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:00:02 EST news251986175 The risk of serious side-effects associated with a common blood-thinning medication are related to elderly patients misunderstanding medical instructions, according to new research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-poor-health-literacy-medication-side-effects.html Medications Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:05:58 EST news249822348 A team of global scientists, led by researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, has developed a safer and more accurate way to administer warfarin, one of the most commonly prescribed but also potentially dangerous medications in the United States. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-safer-common-potentially-dangerous-medication.html Medical research Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:12:22 EST news249732726 In the United States alone, approximately 6 million people suffer from an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), and since the incidence increases with age, it is predicted that 15.9 million Americans will be affected by 2050. The most devastating side effect of AF is stroke, but a new device from Boston Scientific may prevent them from occurring. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-stroke-preventing-technology-jove.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:29:15 EST news249647343 In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-warfarin-aspirin-similar-heart-failure.html Cardiology Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:55:40 EST news247492532 For patients with a type of irregular heart beat called atrial fibrillation (AF), a new anti-clotting drug might be better at preventing clot-related strokes while minimizing the risk of causing a bleeding stroke. The research was presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-rivaroxaban-brain-patients-high.html Cardiology Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:35:19 EST news247397706 Dr. Rabab Mohsin, an internal medicine resident at the University of Kentucky, working with Dr. Alison Bailey of the University of Kentucky Gill Heart Institute, has discovered that the drug warfarin was underutilized in a large study group of women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-warfarin-underutilized-women.html Medications Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:40:03 EST news242996577 Elderly people with atrial fibrillation are often treated with anticoagulants to thin the blood, but this medicine is hard to dose and patients have to have their blood tested regularly. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have now devised a new method that improves the accuracy of risk assessments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-method-safer-dosing-anticoagulants.html Other Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:48:14 EST news242401682 (Medical Xpress) -- Patients who monitor their own treatment with warfarin or other blood-thinning drugs reduce their risk of developing blood clots by half, an Oxford University study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-blood-clot-halved-patients-warfarin.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:50:10 EST news241952023 Atrial Fibrillation patients who are prescribed the powerful blood thinner warfarin often take it with vitamins or supplements that can hamper its effectiveness, or skip doses completely, increasing their risk for stroke, according to new research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-heart-patients-vitamins-medication.html Cardiology Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:33:08 EST news240514381 New research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition affecting a quarter of a million Canadians which is expected to strike even more in the coming years, as the Canadian population ages. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-aristotle-trial-drug-revolutionize-treatment.html Cardiology Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:26:14 EST news238814766 A large-scale trial finds that apixaban, a new anticoagulant drug, is superior to the standard drug warfarin for preventing stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. Moreover, apixaban results in substantially less bleeding and also results in lower mortality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-apixaban-superior-warfarin.html Medical research Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:57:22 EST news233726229 In the primary result from the largest double-blind study ever completed to assess a drug's effect in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm abnormality, rivaroxaban, an anti-clotting drug, was shown to be an attractive alternative to warfarin, the current standard for treatment of atrial fibrillation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-heart-patients-benefit-drug.html Cardiology Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:21:26 EST news232215654 Thousands of patients in Scotland who are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events (ADEs) were prescribed high-risk medications by their GPs which could potentially cause them harm, according to research published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-thousands-patients-high-risk-drugs.html Medications Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:32:12 EST news227932309