Pradaxa Rival Medication As Effective as Aspirin, Says Study

The debate over the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications rages on, as a newly released report is now claiming that aspirin is as effective in treating blood clots as is warfarin, the drug that Pradaxa is seeking to replace.

The report, which was undertaken at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and will be published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 2,305 patients across 168 study sites found that taking a 325 mg aspirin was as effective as warfarin in treating a common forms of heart failure.

Furthermore, it was found that aspirin was an easier medication to take than warfarin among cardiomyopathy patients because warfarin requires regular follow up testing and can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, the AARP reported.

"Overall, aspirin is just as good as warfarin," said Dr. Shunichi Homma, the associate chief of cardiology at NY Presbyterian/Columbia who led the report.

It is not inconceivable that a study such as this could lead to a fewer warfarin prescriptions being given out by doctors. To that regard, a reduction in warfarin prescriptions could lead to an increase in the usage of newer drugs like Pradaxa. Because of the health concerns surrounding Pradaxa use, having even more people taking the drug could lead to the occurrence of even more adverse bleeding events. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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