More than 1.5 million heart flutter patients should be on blood-thinning drugs to prevent stroke, study says

 

More than a million and a half people with a heart “flutter” should be given blood-thinning drugs to prevent fatal strokes, according to a new study.

The research found that even patients whose atrial fibrillation appears to have improved have a significantly increased risk of stroke, but that British doctors are too quick to take people off anticoagulants once symptoms have gone away.

They warned last night the number of people whose condition has been officially designated as “resolved” has gone up substantially in the last 18 years.

Anticoagulants, such as warfarin, can reduce the extra risk of stroke by around two-thirds.
But the new research suggests that around 130,000 high-risk patients are not receiving the drugs they need.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of heart rhythm disturbance in the UK, presenting as feelings of a pounding, fluttering or irregularly beating heart.
In total, around 1.6 million people in the UK have at some point been diagnosed.

Suffering from the condition increases the chance of a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) fivefold, however for the first time the new study shows the risk among those with resolved atrial fibrillation is almost as high.

Having “resolved” atrial fibrillation also means patients come off the GPs’ register for those with the condition which is designed to ensure they are regularly reviewed.

Dr Krish Nirantharakumar, who worked on the study at the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research demonstrates that although people with resolved atrial fibrillation continue to be at high risk of stroke, they are not getting their prevention drugs.

“Worryingly, we found that the problem seems to be becoming more common, with our research showing an increasing number of people are recorded as having atrial fibrillation as resolved and are highly unlikely to be given medication to prevent stroke.”