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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New Heart Valve Could Transform Open Heart Surgery for Millions of Patients Globally

AHA Publisher — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:00:15 +0000

University of Bristol via EurekAlert – A new polymeric heart valve with a life span potentially longer than current artificial valves that would also prevent the need for the millions of patients with diseased heart valves to require life-long blood thinning tablets has been developed by scientists at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge. The team’s latest in-vitro results, published in Biomaterials Science, suggest that the PoliValve could last for up to 25 years. More than 1.3 million patients with diseased heart valves need valve replacement therapy globally each year. There are two artificial valves currently available for this; both have limitations either in durability or in biocompatibility. Biological valves are made from fixed pig or cow tissue and have good biocompatibility, meaning patients do not need life-long blood thinning tablets. However, they only last ten to 15 years before failing. While mechanical valves have very good durability, they have poor biocompatibility and patients must take daily blood thinning drugs to prevent life threatening complications due to blood clots. Professor Geoff Moggridge, Head of the Structured Materials Group at Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and Professor Raimondo Ascione, NHS Adult Cardiac Surgeon and Head of the Translational Biomedical Research Centre (TBRC) at the University of Bristol have spent three years conducting developmental work and extra-vivo and in-vivo testing on the new PoliValve. The PoliValve, created by Professor Moggridge, Dr Marta Serrani and Dr Joanna Stasiak at Cambridge and Professor Ascione in Bristol, and building on earlier work with Professor Costantino’s group, is made from a special co-polymer and is designed to resemble the flexibility, biocompatibility and durability of a natural heart valve. The device combines excellent durability with biocompatibility, addressing the limitations of current biological and mechanical artificial valves. It is made through a simple moulding process; hence it also reduces markedly manufacture and quality control costs. Professor Moggridge, said: “These impressive results show the PoliValve is a promising alternative for valve replacement surgery. While further testing is needed, we think it could make a major difference to the hundreds of thousands of patients who get valve replacement surgery every year.” Initial testing in animal has been undertaken at Bristol’s TBRC facility as a first mandatory in-vivo testing step to ensure safety. Long-term in-vivo testing is already planned and funded as a necessary additional step before bringing this new treatment to patients. Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Patients requiring an artificial heart valve are often faced with the dilemma of choosing between a metallic or tissue valve replacement. “A metallic valve is long lasting but requires the patient to take lifelong blood thinning drugs. Although this medication prevents clots forming on the valve, it also increases the risk of serious bleeding. “Patients who have a tissue valve replacement usually don’t need to take this medication. However, the valve is less durable and means the patient may face further surgery. “The polymer valve combines the benefits of both – it is durable and would not require the need for blood thinning drugs. While further testing is needed before this valve can be used in patients, this is a promising development, and the BHF is pleased to have supported this research.” According to the ISO standards a new artificial heart valve must withstand a minimum of 200 million repetitions of opening and closing during bench testing (equivalent to five-year of life span) to be tested in humans. The new Cambridge-Bristol polymeric valve has comfortably surpassed this. The PoliValve has also exceeded the requirements of ISO standards for hydrodynamic testing, showing a functional performance in-vitro comparable to the best-in-class biological valve currently available on the market. The small feasibility pilot study in-vivo in three sheep at one to 24 hours after surgery has demonstrated the valve is easy to stitch in, no mechanical failure, no trans-valvular regurgitation, low trans-valvular gradients, and good biocompatibility at histopathology. Professor Ascione added: “The transformational PoliValve results from an advanced Bristol/Cambridge-based biomedical cross-fertilisation between experts in biomaterials, computational modelling, advanced preclinical development/testing and clinical academics understanding the patient needs. The new valve could help millions of people worldwide and we aim to test in patients within the next five years.” To read the original article click here.

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blood thinning Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Blood thinners: A Leading Cause of Death in Emergency Rooms

New Heart Valve Could Transform Open Heart Surgery for Millions of Patients Globally