Atrial Fibrillation is irrgular heart beat, the most common form, and when the heart fibrillates it tends to generate clots in its chambers that can cause strokes.
So coumadin is routinely used, or other anticoagulants, to reduce the risk of lung clots or strokes.
Although not mentioned in this research, anticoagulation is also recommended for people with enlarged heart/heart failure, who also are prone to clot development in the heart chambers.
Research confirms the benefits. Bleeding is the main complication of anticoagulants as you might imagine, with trauma a serious contributor, like head injuries.
http://www.sciencecodex.com/medicine_protects_against_strokes-125787
You see all kinds of good science reported on JunkScience.com, because you are searching for the truth, not just another chance to get mad about fraud and deception.
I just put up info I think people might find interesting and irritate on a regular basis.
John Dale Dunn MD JD Consultant Emergency Services/Peer Review Civilian Faculty, Emergency Medicine Residency Carl R. Darnall Army Med Center Fort Hood, Texas Medical Officer, Sheriff Bobby Grubbs Brown County, Texas 325 784 6697 (h) 642 5073 (c)
OK, if it ain’t junk science why is this here? I was happy to get this info/opinion set, though.
Conflicted I am!
Good points tadchem,
Preventing ischemic strokes is different from dealing with clots and the risk of thrombotic strokes in an irregular or enlarged heart.
Atrial Fib and congestive heart failure cardiac clotting are tough to treat with just aspirin and plavix, so coumadin is still the mainstay with Pradaxa coming on.
The new drug Pradaxa is an anticoagulant that doesn’t require INR, testing like coumadin, but until they get a good antidote for bleeding from Pradaxa it will be somewhat problematic, the company promises an antidote soon but right now its just blood and blood elements.
John Dale Dunn MD JD Consultant Emergency Services/Peer Review Civilian Faculty, Emergency Medicine Residency Carl R. Darnall Army Med Center Fort Hood, Texas Medical Officer, Sheriff Bobby Grubbs Brown County, Texas 325 784 6697 (h) 642 5073 (c)
Coumadin (warfarin) carries a *very* high risk of hemorrhaging (bleeding), which activity makes it useful as a rodenticide. Many commonly used medications interact with coumadin, as do some foods, particularly leaf vegetable foods or “greens,” since these typically contain large amounts of vitamin K1. Its activity has to be monitored by blood testing for the international normalized ratio (INR) to ensure an adequate yet safe dose is taken.
Other less risky measures to prevent damaging blood clots include a daily aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and regular platelet donation. If you donate platelets you are required to abstain from aspirin for 48 hours before the donation, which can be done every 14 days up to 24 times a year.
(My mother and her mother died of strokes.)