Port Washington, New York (PRWEB) November 21, 2014
Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm representing patients injured by drugs, comments on a recent research presentation concerning long-term treatment with warfarin combined with antiplatelet therapy and either aspirin or clopidigrel for stroke prevention. It seems that, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014, the antiplatelet-anti-clotting combination may increase risks for dementia in people who are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a November 16, 2014 MedicalXpress report indicates.
"The dual drug regimen is often used to prevent strokes in people with coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease, but we have to consider that long-term exposure to anti-clotting drugs such as warfarin, if not well controlled, can significantly increase bleeding risk," said T. Jared Bunch, M.D., lead study author and director of electrophysiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, according to the MedicalXpress report.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, typically rapid, heart rate that leads to poor blood flow. During an atrial fibrillation episode, the heart's atria (two upper chambers) beat uncontrollably and irregularly and not in synchrony with the hearts ventricles (two lower chambers). Symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and weakness, according to Parker Waichman LLP.
The study of over 1,000 patients revealed that those with abnormally slow blood clotting timesthe International Normalized Ratio (INR), which occurs when too much medication is received and indicated by a measurement above 3 on 25 percent or more monitoring testsexperienced a more than two-fold likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia when compared to patients whose tests revealed overtreatment less than 10 percent of the time. It's very common to have INR outside the ideal range up to 40 percent of the time, and over the years there may be an accumulative negative impact on cognitive ability," Bunch said, MedicalXpress reported.
Patients and physicians rely on safe and effective medical treatments, says Gary Falkowitz, Managing Attorney at Parker Waichman LLP. Patients, and their doctors, need to know when the treatments they receive may jeopardize their health in different and dangerous ways.
Patients who received this antiplatelet-anti-clotting combination and who suffered cognitive impairment, such as dementia, may be entitled to compensation, Parker Waichman LLP indicates.
Parker Waichman LLP continues to offer free legal consultations to victims of pharmaceutical side effects. If you or a loved experienced an injury as a result of a drug treatment, please visit the firms Defective Drug page at YourLawyer.com or contact the firm, toll-free, at 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636).