London: Aspirin and warfarin, a drug also used as rat poison, are equally effective in preventing heart strokes, a new study says.
However, aspirin was safer because fewer patients suffered bleeding brought on by side-effects such as excessive blood thinning.
The study, coordinated by Columbia University Medical Centre, New York, concluded that for most patients with heart failure, who do not have other problems such as irregular beats or narrowing of the arteries, aspirin would be a better choice.
Warfarin is difficult to take because it interacts with other drugs and some foods, necessitating regular monitoring of patients to check that their blood is not thinning or remaining too sticky, the New England Journal of Medicine reports.
In England in 2010 there were more than eight million prescriptions dispensed for warfarin, according to the Telegraph.
During the study, 2,305 patients in their 60s were randomly assigned to receive either warfarin or 325 mg of aspirin daily and were followed up after an average of six years.
Researchers found that there was no significant difference in the rate of stroke, brain bleed and death, when added together as one outcome, between those on aspirin or warfarin.
The number of strokes in the warfarin group was almost half that of the aspirin group but this was offset by a doubling of major bleeds compared with aspirin, a researcher said.
Shunichi Homma, professor of medicine at Columbia, said: "Since the overall risks and benefits are similar for aspirin and warfarin, the patient and his or her doctor are free to choose the treatment that best meets their particular medical needs."However, given the convenience and low cost of aspirin, many may go this route."
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.