According to a new study, which was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2013 Scientific Sessions on March 10, 2013, patients experiencing atrial fibrillation (AF) who stop taking either Warfarin and Rivaroxaban are at greater risk to have a stroke. That said, these patients have a similar risk of having a stroke, regardless of which medication they are on, researchers note.

“Patients with AF taking oral anticoagulants always end up taking a contraindicated medication or have a surgical procedure that results in a short, temporary interruption of oral anticoagulation therapy,” Dr. Matthew Sherwood (Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC) told heartwire. “These patients are at moderate to high risk for having strokes, and that’s why they’re on oral anticoagulation, so any interruption may expose them to risk, specifically the risk of thrombotic events. That’s been borne out in patients treated with Warfarin, and we expected the same with the newer anticoagulants.”

During the ROCKET-AF study, researchers were able to show that Rivaroxaban was no less effective than Warfarin when it comes to stroke prevention and the prevention of non-central nervous system embolisms. This is why the FDA approved Rivaroxaban for treating nonvalvular AF in the first place. When speaking to heartwire, Sherwood explained that the participating patients in the ROCKET-AF trial had an average CHADS2 score of 3.4, meaning they were at a moderate to high risk of suffering from a stroke.

Many different anticoagulant medications are used in treating AF and preventing strokes or blood clots. One of those medications is Multaq, made by Sanofi Aventis. Multaq has been found to be too dangerous for use because of the side effects linked to it. Some of the serious side effects linked to Multaq include a worsening of the heart condition, liver failure, lung disease and pulmonary toxicity.

If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure, a worsening of the heart condition, lung disease or pulmonary toxicity after taking Multaq, contact attorney Greg Jones for a free consultation today. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.