Blood Thinners
This story also ran on U.S. News & World Report. It can be republished for free. Nearly all women who deliver babies through cesarean section at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City receive injections of the blood thinner heparin for weeks after the procedure, to prevent potentially…
Elderly nursing home patients prescribed a multitude of medications following a heart attack may live longer compared to those given just one drug, but it can come at a cost: It may negatively impact their quality of life. Researchers examined claims data from nearly 4,800 nursing home residents, most of…
People over 50 who take the blood thinner warfarin may have a lower risk of developing cancer.Researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, looked at the medical records of around 93,000 people taking the drug and compared them with with more than 1.1 million people not taking warfarin (Coumadin). They…
The new class of blood thinners does not have a higher risk of major bleeding compared with warfarin, an older anticlotting drug that for decades has been the mainstay for treatment. The class, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), is used to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE), a blood clot in the vein…
Non–Vitamin K Oral Blood-Thinners Can Cause Bleeding When Combined With Other Drugs A class of blood-thinners known as non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) is associated with the risk of major bleeding when combined with other drugs. Researchers found 4 drugs in particular that cause serious interactions: amiodarone (for arrhythmia), fluconazole…
Xarelto, one of the newer generation of blood thinners, was approved by the FDA in 2011. It’s making news lately — and not for good reason. Lawsuits alleging rivaroxaban (Xarelto) harms — or even kills — keep piling up. Moreover, the FDA has concerns about the testing device used in…
Many patients who take the blood thinner warfarin may be at an increased risk of side effects of the drug since they are not knowledgable about food and drug interactions associated with the medication. The results of a recent study evaluating warfarin patients’ understanding of the drug and interactions is…
Taking the blood thinner warfarin at the same time as certain diabetes drugs increases the risk of hospitalization, a study from the University of Southern California warns. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 466,000 Medicare patients. They found that those who took warfarin along with the diabetes drugs glipizide or glimepiride…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clear the drug Praxbind for emergency use to reverse the blood-thinning effects of Pradaxa. The FDA stated that the use of Praxbind to reverse the blood-thinning effects of Pradaxa puts patients at risk for blood clots and stroke, and they should resume taking…
When Beverly Wilkerson, 58, Sherman Oaks, CA, woke up with a pounding headache and jaw pain last summer, she popped two Aleve. (The recommended dosage is one at a time.) She forgot to take water and food with the pills. Later on, she took two more, again forgetting the water…
