04 Nov Atrial Fibrillation: More Bleeding With Dabigatran Than Warfarin

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Yuting Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director
Pharmaceutical Economics Research Group
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Department of Health Policy and Management.

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Zhang: Patients with atrial fibrillation who take the blood thinner dabigatran are at greater risk for major bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding than those who take warfarin, indicating that greater caution is needed when prescribing dabigatran to certain high-risk patients. High-risk groups include those who are 75 and older; African Americans; those with chronic kidney disease; and those with seven or more co-existing medical problems.

Medical Research: What was most surprising about the results?

Dr. Zhang: Dabigatran users were 58 percent more likely to have a major bleed and 30 percent more likely to have any kind of bleed than those taking warfarin. African-Americans and patients with chronic kidney disease using dabigatran were about twice as likely to have a major bleed as those taking warfarin. In addition, dabigatran users were more likely than warfarin users to experience gastrointestinal or vaginal bleeding, or blood in the urine, joints or sputum. However, the dabigatran group had a lower risk for bleeding in the brain.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Zhang: Physicians should be cautious when prescribing dabigatran, particularly to African-Americans and patients with kidney impairments. Also, the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding was high in all the subgroups, so we recommend doctors explain to patients how to detect it so that it can be treated promptly.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Citation:

Last Updated on January 7, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD