An anticoagulant drug could reduce the risk of stroke in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, according to researchers.
- Coagulation refers to the transformation of a liquid substance into a more or less solid substance. In the blood, it can lead to the formation of a clot, likely to disrupt the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. An anticoagulant helps slow excessive clotting.
- Atrial fibrillation, also called atrial fibrillation, results in a significant acceleration in the heart rate. According to Health Insurance, it concerns 1% of the general population, in particular the elderly (more than 10% of those over 80). Between 20 and 30% of strokes are secondary to atrial fibrillation.
- This study shows that the anticoagulant drug “apixaban” reduces the risk of stroke and blood clotting by 37% in patients with atrial fibrillation detectable only by an implanted electronic device.
Apixaban, a notorious anticoagulant medication that helps prevent blood clots by thinning the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to race faster. and makes it beat irregularly. This is the conclusion of a new study carried out by an international team of researchers and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Anticoagulant reduces stroke risk by 37%
To arrive at this observation, the scientists relied on data, collected over a period of eight years, from more than 4,000 people from sixteen different countries, all suffering from atrial fibrillation detectable only thanks to a pacemaker or a implanted electronic device. This is the largest study of apixaban and atrial fibrillation.
As a result, in people suffering from this particular condition, the anticoagulant medication reduced the risk of stroke and blood clotting by 37%, and the risk of fatal or disabling stroke by 49%.
For patients at risk of stroke who develop atrial fibrillation
“Although we have seen an increase in major bleeding, these are not life-threatening and are generally reversible, and most patients recover“, explains Jeff Healey, lead author of the study, in a communicated. His colleague Stuart Connolly agrees: “Considering that the strokes prevented by apixaban are much more serious and disabling than these bleeds, our results indicate that apixaban should be considered for patients at risk of stroke who develop atrial fibrillation detected by the device.”
This study, according to scientists, can help doctors better prevent the most debilitating strokes. “As there are more and more users of implanted and wearable heart monitors, as well as consumer connected devices like the Apple Watch, there is a future on the horizon where those at risk will be better identified and will receive effective stroke prevention treatment.”
