Atrial fibrillation patients saw 69% lower risk with common blood thinners
HealthScienceDaily

Atrial fibrillation patients saw 69% lower risk with common blood thinners

A major randomised trial found common blood thinners cut serious health events by 69% in atrial fibrillation patients previously considered too low-risk to treat.

Direct oral anticoagulants cut the risk of serious clinical events by 69% in atrial fibrillation patients with an intermediate risk of stroke, according to the randomized SINGLE-AF trial. The benefit was driven mainly by fewer ischemic strokes, with no increase in major bleeding.

The Long Sip
What happened

The SINGLE-AF trial found direct oral anticoagulants reduced serious clinical events by 69% in atrial fibrillation patients at intermediate stroke risk.

The detail

Serious events occurred in just 0.5% of patients taking the blood thinners compared with 1.5% of those receiving no anticoagulant therapy over 24 months.

What it means

The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could prompt updated guidelines to more firmly recommend treatment for this previously uncertain group.

For you

If you or someone you know has AF and has been told treatment is optional, the trial authors say it is worth discussing DOACs with your GP or cardiologist.

Full story at ScienceDaily

What readers are saying

Gordy
The trial used a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 in men or 2 in women to define intermediate risk. That group saw the primary endpoint drop from 1.5 percent to 0.5 percent over two years mainly through fewer ischaemic strokes.
jazzyj
Did the open-label design affect how they reported the bleeding events?

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