Given the recently published research studies and lawsuits about the risks for GI bleed problems with Xarelto, some consumers are asking, why use anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation?

Doctors might recommend the use of an anticoagulant drug to prevent more serious medical conditions, some of which could become life-threatening. Some patients, however, find out after they’ve been put on an anticoagulant regime that they are at risk for severe bleeding events that could require hospitalization. One such example is the popular drug Xarelto, which has been the subject of numerous anticoagulant drug lawsuits in recent years.

Those patients at risk for GI bleed issues could end up hospitalized or facing serious medical conditions and problems due to using the anticoagulant known as Xarelto.

What is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation
is also referred to as AFib. This is an irregular or quivering heart beat that can cause serious medical complications such as heart failure, stroke, blood clots and more. According to heart.org, approximately 2.7 million Americans have been diagnosed and are living with atrial fibrillation in the U.S.

How Do AFib Treatments Help?

Knowing the symptoms and getting the right treatment for atrial fibrillation can help reduce the risk of life threatening strokes or heart failure. A 2009 study found that only 33 percent of atrial fibrillation patients felt that atrial fibrillation is a serious condition.

How Do Blood Thinners Work?

Blood thinners do not thin the blood. Instead they reduce blood clot formation in the veins or arteries.

While Xarelto is promoted as a safe and effective tool for treating atrial fibrillation as an anticoagulant, it has reportedly been associated with the risk for GI bleed issues.

There are two primary types of blood thinner medications available to patients today; the first are anticoagulants, such as warfarin and Xarelto. Those help to reduce or prevent blood clotting. The other type of blood thinner medication available today are anti-platelet drugs, such as aspirin. Those help to prevent blood cells from sticking together and forming the clot.

Who Should Take Anticoagulants?

People who have an irregular heartbeat who are at risk for deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, those who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and those who have had knee or hip replacement surgery might be prescribed an anticoagulant. These drugs can also help lower the risk of stroke.

Are Anticoagulants Effective?

Studies have found that those patients with moderate to high risk of thromboembolic events diagnosed with atrial fibrillation can benefit from the risk of clinical stroke when compared with placebo results. Anticoagulation reduces the risk of ischemic stroke by approximately two thirds irrespective of the baseline risk.

Xarelto has been marketed as a latest generation blood thinner and alternative to warfarin despite the fact that it has been associated with the risk of an internal bleed.

A Xarelto bleeding event could become a life threatening problem if the patient is not aware of the symptoms of the bleed and fails to get medical attention quickly.