Blood thinners: A Leading Cause of Death in Emergency Rooms

The AHA! Team — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:09:07 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners, have been around for many decades. These medications have been used for a variety of conditions and situations where there is a risk of clot formation. Clot formation can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). But at what cost? Blood thinners come in many types – intravenous drugs like heparin and medications taken by mouth like warfarin and Pradaxa. Since blood thinners are considered a ‘preventative’ medication, many doctors prescribe them, believing the benefits outweigh the risks. However, a cardiologist from Duke University notes that blood thinners like warfarin are actually one of the leading causes of death in United States emergency rooms. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the dangerous side effects of warfarin and other blood thinners before blindly accepting a doctor’s prescription for these medications. Anticoagulants: Lifesavers or lethal lottery? The side effects of warfarin are many and include fever, diarrhea, vomiting blood, dizziness, bruising, black or bloody stools, blood in urine, heavy menstrual bleeding, and tissue death (necrosis). Each of these scary symptoms could signify internal bleeding and require immediate emergency medical attention. In fact, the drug’s links to increased bleeding risk and death forced manufacturers to add a ‘black box’ to the product’s label in 2006 that warns of the potentially deadly side effects of warfarin. For many decades, warfarin was the only option for administering blood thinners. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new type of blood thinner: Pradaxa. It was supposed to be easier to take than warfarin, just as effective, and still cause fewer side effects. Since the approval of Pradaxa (dabigatran) in 2010, several additional novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been approved in the United States. Rivaroxaban (Xarelto): Approved by the FDA in 2011. Apixaban (Eliquis): Approved in 2012. Edoxaban (Savaysa): Approved in 2015. Betrixaban (Bevyxxa): Approved in 2017, specifically for extended prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients. The life-threatening side effects of blood thinners The introduction of NOACs promised a new era in blood clot prevention. However, these drugs come with their own set of potentially life-threatening risks. NOACs, including drugs like Pradaxa, Xarelto, Eliquis, and Savaysa, often cause alarming side effects. Patients frequently report bloody stools, vomiting blood, and severe digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. Other reported side effects include dizziness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, hives, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. The most severe risk associated with NOACs is internal bleeding, which can be fatal. In 2011, an FDA review of adverse events revealed a concerning statistic: Pradaxa, the first approved NOAC, was associated with a high number of deaths and injuries. The numbers were significant – hundreds of fatalities and thousands of serious events were reported. However, it’s important to note that this data was specific to Pradaxa and not representative of all NOACs, some of which were approved later. Nonetheless, there’s no (good) reason why pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to operate this way with such troubling safety records. The so-called “safety” of these drugs is nothing compared to the potential dangers. Ongoing litigation claims that manufacturers failed to adequately warn doctors about the lack of reversal agents for uncontrolled bleeding in some of these medications. Moreover, many patients remain unaware that NOACs can interact dangerously with other medications and pose heightened risks for those with conditions like kidney disease. The takeaway is clear: no one should prescribe or take anticoagulants without fully understanding every possible complication. As the adage goes, “Let the buyer beware.” We urge you to be fully informed before making any healthcare decisions involving these powerful and potentially dangerous drugs. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov NIH.gov DrugWatch.com DrugWatch.com Reuters.com To read the original article click here.

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Do You Have a Ticking Time Bomb in Your Chest That Could Cause a Stroke?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 07:00:22 +0000

Walla! via The Jerusalem Post – More than 30,000 Israelis suffer from atrial fibrillation without knowing it. This is an arrhythmia, a fluctuation in the normal heart rate that is called a “ticking time bomb,” and it significantly increases the risk of having a stroke. A new questionnaire from the Ne’eman Association checks if you’re at risk of having a stroke. Approximately 90,000 Israelis suffer from atrial fibrillation, but 30,000 people don’t know that they have this condition. This means that they walk around with a ticking time bomb in their body that isn’t noticeable and can cause a stroke without any early warning signs. Now a new pilot from the Ne’eman Association seeks to diagnose these people and save their lives with a simple digital questionnaire for people over age 65. “Every year about 20,000 people suffer a stroke that can lead to disability and even death,” said Prof. Natan Bornstein, director of the Neurological Institute at Shaare Zedek Medical Center and chairman of the Israeli Stroke Society and the Ne’eman Association. “Of these strokes, only about 20% are caused by atrial fibrillation and occur in patients with no early symptoms, so in other words many of these cases were diagnosable and preventable.” What Is Atrial Fibrillation? Bornstein explained that atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder characterized by rapid and irregular contraction of the heart. Irregular heartbeat can cause blood to congeal in the heart and clot. The danger is that these blood clots will leave the heart and reach blood vessels in the brain. As a result, blood and oxygen supply to the brain may be blocked and cause a stroke.This is why atrial fibrillation is one of the major risk factors for stroke. The professor added that studies show that people over age 65 who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke as compared to the general healthy population. “Early detection of atrial fibrillation and appropriate drug treatment with anticoagulants can prevent a stroke and therefore it’s crucial to diagnose atrial fibrillation,” he said. The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, and if people have diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, progressive heart failure, vascular disease, obstructive pulmonary disease and overactive thyroid gland, these increase the risk for atrial fibrillation in this age group. As mentioned, the Ne’eman Association, which works to reduce stroke and provides rehabilitative services, is now leading a unique pilot that will identify people at risk for atrial fibrillation by using a digital questionnaire and advanced heart rate monitoring technology, in order to save their lives. The pilot calls on people aged 65 and over to answer a digital questionnaire, which examines their level of risk for latent atrial fibrillation. Participants diagnosed at high risk using the questionnaire will receive at home, for free, an advanced heart rate monitoring device (called a Holter), which is connected 24/7 to a monitoring center in order to find a fibrillation. As part of the pilot, those who are at risk will receive the world’s smallest miniature monitoring device called MonitorNano, which runs an automated algorithm for detecting arrhythmias, which is pre-programmed to detect arrhythmias. The patient has nothing to do but carry it on his body. It’s the smallest wearable monitoring device in the world, only 12 mm thick and weighs only 18 grams. The data received from the monitor is transmitted to the center through the management application installed on a cell phone and analyzed by medical staff. “There is no doubt that if it’s possible to prevent a stroke, of course this is the preferred option,” concluded Pnina Rosenzweig, CEO of the Ne’eman Association. “Early testing to detect those at risk can save lives and this is a way to do so with a simple and free answer. It’s possible to get a professional and quality diagnosis of a significant risk factor and prevent a stroke.” To read the original article click here.

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anticoagulants Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Blood thinners: A Leading Cause of Death in Emergency Rooms

Do You Have a Ticking Time Bomb in Your Chest That Could Cause a Stroke?