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New Guidelines OK Pradaxa Blood Thinner as Option for Irregular Heartbeat
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Atrial Fibrillation Slideshow Pictures
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MONDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, a recent anti-clotting drug called Pradaxa (dabigatran) can be used as an alternative to warfarin, according to updated guidelines released Monday. About 2 million Americans possess atrial fibrillation, in which the heart's two upper chambers beat erratically, causing uneven as well as inefficient pumping of blood. As a result, blood can pool as well as clot in the chambers, raising the risk of stroke or heart attack. Since the 1950s, such patients possess been prescribed warfarin, but the drug requires normal testing as well as dosage adjustments. The updated guidelines, issued by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association as well as the Heart Rhythm Society, say that Pradaxa can be used to halt blood clots as well as stroke in patients with either recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillation that halt after seven days (called "paroxysmal") or ongoing ("permanent") atrial fibrillation, as well as with risk factors for blood clotting as well as stroke, provided that they don't possess a prosthetic heart valve, significant heart valve disease, very bad kidney failure or advanced liver disease. The updated guidelines are published in the journals Circulation, HeartRhythm as well as the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Final December, the groups released an updated guideline that said a combination of aspirin as well as the drug Plavix (clopidogrel) could be used to halt blood clots as well as stroke in atrial fibrillation patients who are without money candidates for warfarin. -- Robert Preidt  Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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