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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
At preventing blood clots, and subsequent strokes, to be recommended for patients with AFib. For example, if you have AFib and stroke risk factors that give you a 10% chance of having a stroke, taking aspirin only decreases the risk to 8%, whereas a blood thinner reduces the risk of stroke to 3.5%. What is the safest blood thinner for AFib?There are two main types of blood thinners: warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Examples of DOACs are apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and dabigatran (Pradaxa). Warfarin has been used for decades and, when monitored closely, it can be safe and effective at preventing strokes. However, DOACs are increasingly the preferred blood thinner for patients with AFib. There are several reasons for this, including: No monitoring needed. Warfarin levels are monitored closely using a simple blood test. This increases cost and is less convenient for patients. Not affected by diet or medications. The reason warfarin levels are monitored is because warfarin activity can be affected by certain foods, medications, alcohol, herbal supplements and vitamins. DOACs are not affected by these things and therefore frequent labs are not required with these medications. Decreased risk of dementia. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reported that patients who took DOACs had a 50% lower risk of dementia compared to patients who took warfarin. SourcesTisdale TE, Chung MK, Campbell KB, et al. Drug-induced arrhythmias: a scientific statement from the american heart association. Circulation. 2020;142:e214–e233Bezabhe WM, Bereznicki LR, et al. Oral anticoagulant treatment and the risk of dementia in patients with atrial fibrillation: a population‐based cohort study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11:e023098
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