Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New blood-thinning drug safer than rat poison
Faculty of 1000: Biology and Medicine ^ | Sep 29, 2009 | Unknown

Posted on 09/29/2009 9:51:59 AM PDT by decimon

In an article reviewed by F1000 Medicine Faculty Members Robert Ruff, Brian Olshansky and Luis Ruilope, the blood-thinner dabigatran is shown to protect against stroke, blood clotting and major bleeding as effectively as warfarin, but with fewer side effects.

The original paper, Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation, by Neal Devaraj and Stuart Connolly et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine, says warfarin (also commonly used in rat poison) has several drawbacks. Finding the correct dosage requires careful and laborious monitoring, and the risk of major bleeding has led to it being under-used.

With fewer side-effects and complications than warfarin, the reviewers see many potential benefits from dabigatran. According to Olshansky, it is "perhaps one of the important drug discoveries in the past decade."

Ruilope says that according to the investigators, "This oral anticoagulant prevents strokes and peripheral embolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation significantly better than that much older drug (warfarin) at different doses. It is also safer than warfarin with respect to major bleeding events."

"An immediate change of practice is not warranted but a change in standard anticoagulant therapy may be needed," Ruilope says.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dabigatran; health; medicine; warfarin
They can take my rat poison from my cold, dead glands.
1 posted on 09/29/2009 9:51:59 AM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: decimon

I wonder about the cost of this drug vs. warfarin.

Once I transported a patient who had an abdominal bleed while on warfarin. A drug that makes that less likely is highly desirable.


2 posted on 09/29/2009 9:59:38 AM PDT by heartwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: heartwood; decimon
During my late Dad's last year when he was ultra-feeble, his requirment for constant blood tests, and the changes in coumadin dosage, it was becoming impossible to get him to the blood lab.

I called the cardio and he told me to just take him off and put him on two baby aspirins a day.

I ran to the pharmacist and he told me he knew of these changes all the time.

It's a racket to keep the blood labs busy in my opinion.

3 posted on 09/29/2009 10:03:50 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (It's not an Obama "Administration"....it's a "Regime")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: presently no screen name

mark


4 posted on 09/29/2009 10:29:39 AM PDT by presently no screen name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon

My humorous dyslexia kicked in for a second, I read the drug as Dagnabitran


5 posted on 09/29/2009 10:37:49 AM PDT by Cold Heart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: heartwood

Why not use Plavix?


6 posted on 09/29/2009 10:38:01 AM PDT by traderrob6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: traderrob6

Warfarin is the frontline treatment, presumably because it is more effective.

“The atrial fibrillation clopidogrel trial with Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events (ACTIVE W) is a noninferiority trial comparing anticoagulation with warfarin to therapy with aspirin plus clopidogrel for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. ACTIVE W enrolled 6706 patients and is the largest atrial fibrillation anticoagulation trial completed to date. Patients in ACTIVE W could have either paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or sustained (ie, persistent or permanent) atrial fibrillation. ACTIVE W was halted when warfarin anticoagulation was observed to be superior to aspirin and clopidogrel.”

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-173234220/warfarin-vs-clopidogrel-plus.html

Plavix plus aspirin is used when the patient can’t/won’t tolerate warfarin. They have different mechanisms of action: Plavix interferes with platelet aggregation; warfarin by interfering with the production of coagulation proteins.


7 posted on 09/29/2009 11:13:32 AM PDT by heartwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: heartwood
Any one on heparin and not closely monitored by doctor with frequent blood work has a quack for a doctor...Very dangerous drug, once in a while we would get a patient in the hospital with too high heparin (found in blood test) Vitamin K if I remember correctly) reverses it quite quick.

But I wonder which came first, warfarin for rat poison or for human's...It does cause the rat to bleed to death.

8 posted on 09/29/2009 12:16:09 PM PDT by goat granny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia

The willow tree strikes again.....!!


9 posted on 09/29/2009 12:24:40 PM PDT by Osage Orange (A community organizer cannot bitch when communities organize..... - Rush Limbaugh)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: heartwood

You can get warfarin as a generic (coumadin). Coumadin qualifies as a $4.00 generic under most pharmacy plans.


10 posted on 09/29/2009 12:27:13 PM PDT by MrsEmmaPeel (a government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take everything you have)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Excellent slogan! Give the guys in Marketing a raise!


11 posted on 09/29/2009 12:27:36 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Play the Race Card -- lose the game.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
Excellent slogan! Give the guys in Marketing a raise!

"Old Lace TV Dinners. Safer than rat poison."

12 posted on 09/29/2009 1:47:10 PM PDT by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: MrsEmmaPeel

Cost dabigatran $7.85/day = $240/month compared to $4/month warfarin + cost of blood tests. Plus cost of complications and events for each.

The testing costs break it for some people. We had a patient whose bipolar disorder was well-controlled on lithium ($4/month) but as she had no insurance and couldn’t afford the blood tests she ended up on a psych unit a few times a year costing the hospital and state taxpayers several thousand each time.


13 posted on 09/29/2009 2:28:23 PM PDT by heartwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: goat granny

Poison first. I think it was discovered when livestock ate some forage that caused them to bleed to death when castrated.


14 posted on 09/29/2009 2:29:21 PM PDT by heartwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: heartwood
Poison first. I think it was discovered when livestock ate some forage that caused them to bleed to death when castrated.****

OUCH just adds insult to injury...

15 posted on 09/29/2009 3:45:42 PM PDT by goat granny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson