Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Right combo of aspirin and blood thinners found safe

I stopped taking blood-thinners seven years ago, after a heart procedure removed my extra-high stroke risk.

However, I always took them when ordered, despite the trouble of tests, diet-watching and bruising/bleeding risk.

Turns out, that's what you're supposed to do. Experts reported earlier this month that long-term use of aspirin plus blood thinner is safe:
The blood-thinning combination won't increase a patient's risk of early death, according to a new study presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago. The report was also published online Nov. 16 in The Lancet.
Analysis of data from more than a dozen clinical trials revealed no increase in death rate if heart patients took both drugs together for long periods of time, said study co-author Dr. Laura Mauri, an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
"Patients should not be afraid of taking these medications," Mauri said. "In fact, it's important they continue to take them as directed, because they can be life-saving."
Read the whole article (link above) which includes some caveats, and as always, stay in communication with your doctor.

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