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Clot-Buster Doesn't Raise Bleeding Risk in Warfarin Patients: Study

Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 10 – Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a drug used to combat clots in stroke patients, does not increase the risk of dangerous bleeding in patients also taking the blood thinner warfarin, new research found. The study included information on more than 23,000 ischemic stroke patients treated with tPA at more than 1,200 U.S. hospitals. Ischemic stroke, the most common type of brain attack, is caused by a blocked blood vessel to the brain. The clot-busting drug tPA is sold under the brand name Activase and the generic name alteplase. In the study, about 8 percent of the stroke patients were taking the anticoagulant warfarin (Coumadin) before hospital admission. The researchers found little difference in the risk of severe bleeding due to a brain hemorrhage in patients who received tPA while on warfarin versus those not taking the blood-thinning drug. The study also found ... Read more

Related support groups: Coumadin, Warfarin, Ischemic Stroke, Ischemic Stroke -- Prophylaxis, Jantoven

Irregular Heartbeat Poses Greater Stroke Risk for Women Than Men

Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 8 – Older women with the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation face a 14 percent greater risk of stroke than men with the same condition, Canadian researchers report. The raised risk remained higher even when women were taking the blood-thinner warfarin (Coumadin) to prevent stroke, the study authors noted. "Previously, there was a common belief that women were undertreated, and this was the cause for the higher risk of stroke," said lead researcher Dr. Louise Pilote, director of the division of general internal medicine at McGill University and McGill University Health Center in Montreal. "Our current paper shows that this is not the situation and, compared to men, women have higher risk for stroke regardless of warfarin prescriptions," she said. "This study should alert doctors treating patients with atrial fibrillation that women, especially older women, have ... Read more

Aspirin as Effective as Warfarin for Heart Failure: Study

Posted 2 May 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 2 – Aspirin is just as effective as the blood-thinner warfarin in preventing stroke and death in heart failure patients with a normal heart rhythm, a landmark study indicates. Although the two treatments are equally effective, researchers from Columbia University in New York City said their findings could prompt more doctors and patients to choose aspirin because it is much cheaper. The 10-year study was the largest comparison of aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) in the treatment of heart failure patients. In conducting the comparison, researchers followed more than 2,300 patients in 11 countries on three continents. Study participants were assigned randomly either to aspirin or warfarin, and neither the patient nor their doctor knew which medication each patient was taking. The investigators found that the combined risk of death, stroke and cerebral hemorrhage during the ... Read more

Stopping Blood Thinners Raises Stroke Risk for Patients With Irregular Heartbeat

Posted 25 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 25 – When patients with atrial fibrillation stop taking anti-clotting drugs, their stroke risk goes up quickly, new research finds. That risk increases about the same whether they are taking warfarin or a newer, more expensive drug, Xarelto (rivaroxaban). Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver or flutter instead of contracting correctly, raising the risk of stroke fivefold. Patients are often put on anti-clotting drugs to ward off stroke. But some people need to temporarily stop taking anti-clotting drugs before surgery or other medical procedures to prevent excess bleeding, while other patients permanently stop taking anti-clotting drugs because of side effects, researchers said. Researchers analyzed data from a previous trial including more than 14,000 patients with atrial fibrillation. In that trial, ... Read more

Warfarin Helps Cut Stroke Risk, Researchers Report

Posted 27 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 27 – The anti-clotting drug warfarin reduces stroke risk in patients with a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, research shows. In atrial fibrillation – the most common type of irregular heartbeat – the heart's upper chambers don't pump blood properly, allowing clots to form that can cause a stroke. Cleveland Clinic researchers led by Dr. Shikhar Agarwal examined data from more than 32,000 people who took part in eight studies that compared warfarin (Coumadin) with newer anti-clotting medications. The investigators found that stroke risk was higher among women, the elderly, patients who had a previous stroke or mini-stroke (also known as a transient ischemic attack) and patients who had never taken anti-clotting drugs called vitamin K antagonists. The study was released online March 26 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Archives ... Read more

Aspirin, Warfarin Fare Equally for Heart Failure Patients

Posted 3 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 3 – A major head-to-head trial finds that aspirin is equally as good as warfarin in preventing stroke and death in heart failure patients. The researchers said that, all things being equal, the findings raise questions about the wisdom of routinely using warfarin (Coumadin), which can cause dangerous bleeding. The findings were presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association in New Orleans. Heart failure patients are at increased risk for blood clots, stroke and death. The study is the largest and longest of its kind to date and included more than 2,300 patients averaging 61 years of age. All patients had heart failure and a normal heart rhythm, and were followed for up to six years (average 3.5 years). The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 325 milligrams a day of aspirin or warfarin doses meant to achieve a pre-specified degree of ... Read more

Repeat Scans Urged for Head Injury When Blood Thinners Involved

Posted 19 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 – People taking blood thinners who suffer a minor head injury should undergo repeat CT scans, researchers say. The new study included 87 patients taking warfarin (brand name Coumadin) who were treated for a minor head injury at an emergency department. Warfarin is widely prescribed to prevent blood clots. Twenty-four hours after having a negative result on their first CT scan, hemorrhage lesions were seen in five of the patients on a repeat CT scan. Three of the patients were admitted to hospital and one underwent surgery for bleeding in the brain (subdural hematoma). Two other patients who were discharged from hospital after two negative CT scans were later readmitted to the hospital for treatment of symptomatic subdural hematoma, according to the study published online Jan. 16 in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine. "Our study confirms the recommendation of the ... Read more

Related support groups: Coumadin, Warfarin, Head Injury, Jantoven

Self-Monitoring of Blood Thinner May Halve Clot Risk

Posted 30 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 – People taking the blood-thinning drug warfarin who monitor their own blood and adjust their dosage can reduce the risk of blood clots by half, British researchers report. Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) is taken to prevent potentially deadly clots in patients with conditions such as atrial fibrillation – an abnormal heart rhythm – or a mechanical heart valve. But if the blood is thinned too much, serious bleeding can occur. Keeping the drug in check requires monthly monitoring and frequent doctors visits. "The concept of self-care and self-monitoring is a growing part of health care it is used widely in diabetes, asthma and hypertension management," said lead researcher Dr. Carl Heneghan, director of the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford. "The evidence shows that self-monitoring is an effective strategy to reduce thromboembolic events ... Read more

Related support groups: Coumadin, Warfarin, Jantoven

Four Common Meds Send Thousands of Seniors to Hospital: CDC

Posted 23 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 – An estimated 100,000 older Americans are hospitalized for adverse drug reactions yearly, and most of those emergencies stem from four common medications, a new study finds. The four types of medication – two for diabetes and two blood-thinning agents – account for two-thirds of those drug-related emergency hospitalizations. "Of the thousands of medications available to older patients, a small group of blood thinners and diabetes medications caused a high proportion of emergency hospitalizations for adverse drug events among elderly Americans," said lead study author Dr. Daniel Budnitz, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's medication safety program. Medications previously designated "high-risk" were implicated in only 1.2 percent of hospitalizations, the study found. Working with a nationally representative database, CDC researchers ... Read more

Related support groups: Metformin, Aspirin, Coumadin, Plavix, Warfarin, Insulin, Lantus, Januvia, Glucophage, Actos, Glyburide, Glipizide, Humalog, Janumet, Novolog

Heart Patients Using Vitamins May Take Meds Improperly

Posted 15 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 – People with heart conditions who take vitamins may be less likely to take some of their other medications properly, according to a new study. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah asked 100 people with an irregular heartbeat – known as atrial fibrillation – what they knew about warfarin (Coumadin), a commonly prescribed blood thinner. The patients were also asked how well they followed their prescription for the drug, and whether or not they also took vitamins or other supplements. People taking warfarin need regular monitoring because too much of the drug can cause bleeding, and too little can allow blood clots to form, increasing the risk for stroke. In addition, diet also plays a role in warfarin's effectiveness. The study, presented Monday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., found that 62 percent of patients ... Read more

Warfarin May Need Less Monitoring for Some

Posted 14 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 14 – Most people taking the blood-thinner warfarin need blood tests every four weeks to make sure they're receiving the right dose of medication, but new research suggests that some people could safely have those tests done just once every 12 weeks. Longer intervals between monitoring isn't an option for everyone on warfarin, just those who have received the same dose of medication for six months or longer, noted the study, published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Sometimes it's difficult to go every four weeks, and we found that for patients who are very stable who have been monitored every four weeks, going every 12 weeks was not different in dosing," said the study's lead author, Dr. Sam Schulman, a professor of medicine and director of the clinical thromboembolism program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. "Since there are 2 million ... Read more

Related support groups: Coumadin, Warfarin, Jantoven

Over Half of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitals Are Preventable: Study

Posted 9 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 9 – More than one-half of all adverse drug reactions treated in hospitals and emergency care are preventable, according to a new study. In addition, prior research has shown that many preventable drug reactions – which include drug overdoses and internal bleeding associated with the improper use of blood thinners and painkillers – are life-threatening, said the Swedish researchers. This widespread problem, which is even more common among the elderly, has important implications for health care systems, they said. There are many reasons for the high numbers of preventable adverse drug reactions, according to Katja Hakkarainen, a pharmacist from the Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg. These may include "poor coordination of care, lack of time and knowledge among health professionals, and lack of patient education," she said in an International Pharmaceutical ... Read more

Related support groups: Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Tylenol, Opana, Codeine

Study Pits New Blood Thinner Against Warfarin For Irregular Heartbeat

Posted 10 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 10 – A new drug that lowers stroke risk among people with an irregular heartbeat may give the old standby, warfarin, some competition, a new study shows. Individuals with an erratic heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation are at increased risk for ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blockage such as a blood clot. For this reason, they have to take blood-thinning medications to lower this risk. Warfarin (also known as Coumadin) is considered the gold standard medication, but it often requires monitoring, adjustments and stringent dietary restrictions. The new trial pitted the newer drug, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), against warfarin in more than 14,000 patients who were randomly assigned either warfarin or rivaroxaban. Neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was taking which drug. The new agent proved to be as effective as warfarin at reducing the risk of ischemic ... Read more

FDA Medwatch Alert: Coumadin (warfarin sodium) Crystalline 5 mg Tablets: Recall - Tablets May Have Higher than Expected Potency

Posted 3 May 2011 by Drugs.com

ISSUE: Bristol-Myers Squibb initiated a voluntary recall of one lot of 1,000-count bottles of Coumadin (warfarin sodium) Crystalline 5 mg tablets. Company testing of tablets from a returned bottle found a tablet to be higher in potency than expected. The lot number affected in the U.S. is 9H49374A with an expiry date of September 30, 2012. A decrease of active ingredient may increase the risk of clots which could lead to heart attack or stroke, and if there is too much active ingredient, there is an increased risk of bleeding. BACKGROUND: Coumadin is prescribed to treat or prevent blood clots. RECOMMENDATION: Patients who may have 5 mg tablets should not interrupt their therapy but should seek advice from their pharmacist to see if they have tablets originating from the affected lot and if so, should consult their physician for appropriate medical advice. Healthcare professionals and ... Read more

Related support groups: Coumadin

New Generation of Blood Thinners Offers Patients Easier-to-Use Options

Posted 19 Apr 2011 by Drugs.com

From Canadian Press DataFile (April 18, 2011) MONTREAL – Patients who have been on the life-saving but notoriously difficult to manage blood thinner warfarin have some new easier-to-use anti-clotting drug options coming. A new group of oral anticoagulants is slowly starting to enter the market – the first of them, dabigatran, was approved last fall as an alternative to warfarin in cases of atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder. This new group of drugs is expected to dramatically change how blood thinner patients are treated by minimizing shortcomings associated with warfarin. For decades, patients have relied on warfarin, a cheap and heavily used drug sold here under the name Coumadin. But warfarin interacts with many other medications, just as many natural products and certain foods which can throw off blood levels, so patients require frequent hospital or pharmacy visits ... Read more

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