In what is considered a real-world analysis, researchers have found that the newer anticoagulant medications like apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban are better to use as an AF treatment for patients who are more likely to also suffer from a stroke than older meds like warfarin. This new report was recently published in the March 2012 issue of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

The report’s lead author, Dr. Amitava Banerjee of the University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences in the UK, believes that there are some small differences that occur between novel agents that cause some AF patients to be less likely to have a stroke. However, Banerjee wants people to understand that this new analysis cannot completely be expected to compare and contrast the three medications because of the manner in which the study was conducted.

“We extrapolated, using the available trials in the new agents, what we thought would happen in a real-world cohort of patients on warfarin vs. not on warfarin. All the trials have looked at slightly different patients with slightly different outcomes and slightly different times, so we’re not comparing apples with apples. We can’t clearly say that one is better than the other” in the absence of head-to-head trials, he stresses. But until more data are available in the coming years, “this is our best guesstimate; it’s as good as we can get,” he said to Heartwire.

Dr. Samual Goldhaber of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston wrote an accompanying editorial that said Banerjee’s study used a “unique approach” in dissecting all of the facts around warfarin and other anticoagulant medications by comparing them with no anticoagulant treatments, noting that he feels that the researchers for this study should be commended for their effort. Goldhaber does, however, warn that this study “does not guide us as to which specific novel oral anticoagulant should be used in an individual patient. Such distinctions and drug-patient alignments cannot be extrapolated from the raw data in the current analysis.”

Other anticoagulant medications that may have been looked at for this study might have included Multaq, which is used to treat AF. Some of the side effects linked to Multaq use include liver failure and a worsening of the heart condition. Because of the dangers linked to Multaq, most doctors won’t prescribe the drug unless other drugs aren’t working.

If you or a loved one has developed liver failure or a worsening of your heart condition after taking Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. We are experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.