There are three major “new” anticoagulants (blood thinners). These are Xarelto, Pradaxa, and Eliquis. They are in a tight race for market share and customer loyalty. Xarelto generated $246 million in sales in the third quarter. Pradaxa generated $102 million in sales for the third quarter. Eliquis generated $41 million in sales in the third quarter. You can read the full story here. These sales figures don’t mention Coumadin (Warfarin) at all, other than to note these drugs as “inconvenient.” […]
READ MOREThe New Anticoagulants Prove More Effective Than Warfarin for Afib
How do the new oral blood thinners stack up to Warfarin, the tried-and-true drug? On the whole, doctors are saying the new drugs offer better outcomes…but more side effects, specifically gastrointestinal bleeding. However, doctors still seem more enthusiastic about the new drugs. Overall, “the new oral anticoagulants show a favorable balance between efficacy and safety compared with warfarin, which is consistent across a wide range of patients with atrial fibrillation known to be at high risk for both ischemic and […]
READ MORE34-Year-Old Successfully Treated His Afib with an Ablation
And now for something uplifting: here is an atrial fibrillation success story. Benjamin Martin is only 34 years old. He decided against using drugs and went for a catheter ablation instead. Now he is no longer suffering with severe symptoms. The success rate of cathetar ablation for younger patients is about 80%. If you’re a younger patient this is a procedure that you might want to look into. There are still some doubts about the procedure’s risks vs. its rewards, […]
READ MOREAn Interesting Blog for Athletes with Atrial Fibrillation
If you’re an athlete with afib you might want to visit this blog. It’s written by Michael McCullough, a 53 year old distance runner and mountain biker. McCullough points out that afib is pretty common to athletes. We often think of afib as something which can reduce or destroy our ability to have an active life. This blog definitely proves otherwise, however. McCullough still enjoys running real marathons. He has persistent afib, and he does point out that the persistent […]
READ MOREFormer Cincinnati Reds Manager Dusty Baker Suffered a Stroke from Atrial Fibrillation
As you know, stroke is one of the biggest risks that people with atrial fibrillation face down every day. And nobody is immune or exempt. Just ask Dusty Baker, the former manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He was hospitalized with symptoms of heart failure at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the fall of 2012. Just before he was released he suffered from a mini stroke and was instantly re-admitted. Apparently, Dusty knew he had atrial fibrillation prior to being hospitalized. I […]
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