Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Patient Perspective :Underutilization of Warfarin Therapy in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – Fear or False Sense of Security!

Citation :Mazda Biria, Ahmad Batrash, James Vacek, Loren Berenbom, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy.Underutilization of Warfarin Therapy in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – Fear or False Sense of Security! .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 133-138.


Warfarin (also known under the brand names Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran) is an anticoagulant. It is named after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which sponsored its development. Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of clots (or thrombi) due to irregular heart beat.

Dr. Batrash et al from Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City report a retrospective study showing underutilization of warfarin in elderly patients with AF due to false sense of security about the paroxysmal nature of AF, lack of proper insight about stroke risk (CHADS (2)), and fear of bleeding.

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