Warfarin Potassium

MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2024 -- People on blood thinners have a doubled risk of dangerous internal bleeding if they also take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen or naproxen, a new study warns. People typically are prescribed blood thinners to treat or prevent strokes , heart attacks, or blood clots in the legs or lungs, researchers said. NSAIDs also are known to thin the blood, and the new study shows that they can increase risk of uncontrolled bleeding in the gut, brain, lungs and bladder if taken alongside a blood thinner. “We found that for patients taking blood thinners for blood clots in the legs or lungs, using NSAIDs doubled the risk of bleeding compared with not using NSAIDs,” said researcher Soren Riis Peterson , a medical student with Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. “The increased bleeding risk associated with NSAID use was not limited to the digestive tract but also seemed to affect other organ systems.” For the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 52,000 Danish patients prescribed a blood thinner to treat a blood clot between 2012 and 2022. In Denmark, the NSAIDs diclofenac and naproxen can only be obtained through a prescription. This allowed researchers to track the health of patients who had been prescribed both a blood thinner and an NSAID. Overall, the risk of a bleed was two times higher when people took a blood thinner and an NSAID, compared to just taking a blood thinner, researchers found. The specific risk was four times higher for naproxen, three times higher for diclofenac and nearly twice as high for ibuprofen. Specific bleed risks included: Using NSAIDs with a blood thinner also tripled a person’s risk of anemia, researchers found. The pattern of risk remained similar across a wide variety of blood thinners, including rivaroxaban , apixaban , dabigatran , edoxaban and warfarin , results show. The new study was published Nov. 17 in the European Heart Journal . “For people taking blood thinners for blood clots in their legs or lungs, our research highlights the importance of being cautious when considering NSAIDs for pain or inflammation,” Petersen concluded in a journal news release. “We recommend that patients consult their doctor before taking NSAIDs along with a blood thinner.” In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Robert Storey , a professor of clinical cardiology with the University of Sheffield in the U.K., noted that NSAIDs are widely used, making up about 8% of prescriptions worldwide and often available over-the-counter. “It seems clear that avoiding NSAIDs in combination with [blood thinners] is the safest strategy to avoid excess bleeding risk,” Storey wrote. “However, if this is not possible, what mitigation can be put in place? NSAID prescription should obviously be at the lowest dose and for the shortest time possible, but choice of agent and route may also be important.” Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

Data also demonstrates that the stroke risk reduction device is as effective as oral anticoagulants for patients with atrial fibrillation following a cardiac ablation MARLBOROUGH, Mass. and CHICAGO, Nov. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced positive three-year primary endpoint results from the OPTION global clinical trial of the WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device. Key findings from the study comparing the device to first-line oral anticoagulation (OAC) – including direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) (95%) and warfarin (5%) – for stroke risk reduction in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation following a cardiac ablation were presented in a late-breaking science session at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2024, and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Continue Reading WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device The trial met the primary safety endpoint of non-procedural major bleeding or clinically relevant non-major bleeding at 36 months, with the WATCHMAN FLX device demonstrating superiority to OAC (8.5% vs.18.1%; P<0.0001). It also met the primary efficacy endpoint of all-cause death, stroke or systemic embolism at 36 months, with the data showing non-inferiority of the device to OAC (5.4% vs. 5.8%; P<0.0001). Additional findings included non-inferiority of the WATCHMAN FLX device for the combined secondary endpoint of procedural and non-procedural major bleeding at 36 months (3.9% vs. 5.0%; P<0.0001). In recent years, the number of patients with atrial fibrillation who have undergone a cardiac ablation procedure to prevent symptoms has grown significantly. Due to the risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence following an ablation, current treatment guidelines recommend that patients with multiple stroke risk factors remain on OAC long term to reduce the risk of stroke. However, symptomatic relief can lead these patients to stop taking their blood thinners, increasing this risk, while long-term use of OAC also presents a risk of serious bleeding. "The OPTION trial data provide clinical evidence indicating that, among patients who have undergone an ablation, LAAC with the WATCHMAN FLX device is not only as safe, but superior to OAC therapy for reducing the risk of long-term bleeding events," said Dr. Oussama Wazni, vice chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine and section head, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cleveland Clinic, and principal investigator of the OPTION trial.* "Notably, we found high rates of procedural success in patients who had a WATCHMAN FLX implant after an ablation, and of patient adherence to their prescribed medication regimen following the procedures, which likely reinforced positive outcomes such as the low rates of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke within the trial population." The randomized, controlled OPTION trial included 1,600 patients enrolled across 114 sites in the United States, Europe and Australia, and demonstrated high rates of procedural success. In the trial, approximately 60% of device patients had their WATCHMAN FLX implant 90-180 days following their ablation procedure. The other nearly 40% of the device patients had the two procedures performed concomitantly, with the WATCHMAN FLX implant taking place after the ablation. "The OPTION trial is the first large, randomized trial to rigorously evaluate LAAC as a safe and effective stroke risk reduction treatment following a cardiac ablation in a head-to-head fashion against commonly used oral anticoagulants, including DOAC," said Brad Sutton, M.D., chief medical officer, Atrial Fibrillation Solutions, Boston Scientific. "These positive primary outcomes mean that patients receiving the WATCHMAN FLX device were able to eliminate long-term medication use while maintaining stroke protection. With this data, we see potential to both expand the indication for the WATCHMAN FLX platform and ultimately elevate it to become a frontline therapy for patients receiving cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation to reduce their risk of stroke." In addition to the OPTION trial, the WATCHMAN technology is being evaluated against DOAC as a first-line therapy in lower-risk patients within the CHAMPION-AF randomized trial. The latest-generation WATCHMAN FLX™ Pro LAAC Device, which was approved in the United States in 2023, is similarly being studied in several clinical trials, including the SIMPLAAFY randomized controlled trial that is evaluating a single-drug alternative to dual anti-platelet therapy as a post-procedural regimen. For more information on the OPTION trial, visit . About Boston Scientific Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical technologies that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 45 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of health care. Our portfolio of devices and therapies helps physicians diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, oncological, neurological and urological diseases and conditions. Learn more at and connect on LinkedIn and X, formerly Twitter. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words. 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CONTACTS: Angela Mineo Media Relations +1 (763) 955-8325 [email protected] Jon Monson Investor Relations +1 (508) 683-5450 [email protected] *Dr. Oussama Wazni is a paid consultant of Boston Scientific Corporation. He has not been compensated in connection with this press release. SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED