Beyond the age of 87, the use of anticoagulant drugs would present more risks than benefits.
The effectiveness of a drug can change with age. Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco have observed this with anticoagulants. These drugs are recommended for elderly people with atrial fibrillation, but their use beyond a certain age is counterproductive. In Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomesthe researchers show that this can increase the risk of suffering from other pathologies, or even of dying.
Reduce the risk of stroke
Nearly 15,000 people with atrial fibrillation were recruited for the study. This pathology is a heart rhythm disorder, which can cause a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or hemiplegia. For the first, the risk is 5 times higher in patients with atrial fibrillation. The use of anticoagulant drugs is recommended to reduce it.
Dangerous side effects
For this study, the team used a computer analytic model based on patient information about their lifestyle and health status. The researchers found that the anticoagulant Warfarin was no longer beneficial after 87 years and after 92 years for Apixaban. They recommend that doctors analyze the possible side effects of these treatments before prescribing them: they can increase the risk of cancer or kidney disease. “We know that lack of treatment is a big problem, says lead author Mark Eckman, but at older ages, perhaps we should be a little more careful with medication choices regarding anticoagulation.”
In France, 10% of people over 85 suffer from atrial fibrillation.
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