Stopping Blood Thinners Raises Stroke Risk for Patients With Irregular Heartbeat

By Steven Reinberg: HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News).

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, rivaroxaban was found to be as effective as warfarin in preventing stroke and blood clots. Both drugs carried about an equal risk of causing excessive bleeding. Read more