The popular blood-thinning drug warfarin can put patients at increased risk if they suffer a haemorrhagic stroke, researchers warned today.
Warfarin can trigger increased bleeding in the brain and a raised risk of death, say Dr Matthew Flaherty and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati, USA.
The team recruited 258 people who had experienced a brain haemorrhage, average age 69 years. Of these, 51 were taking warfarin.
Brain scans were done to confirm the type of stroke and measure the size of their blood clots.
Patients on warfarin had about twice as much initial bleeding as those not on the drug, the team found.
Findings appear in the September 30 issue of the journal Neurology. Dr Flaherty explains that warfarin is very effective for preventing ischaemic strokes – those caused by blood clots – among people with a condition called atrial fibrillation.
"For most patients with this condition it is the right choice," he said. "However, people who have bleeding into the brain while taking warfarin are at greater risk of dying than other people. Our study may help to explain why.
"Fortunately, we did not see larger blood clots in people with an INR of less than three."
This shows the importance of good monitoring and adjustment of warfarin dose, Dr Flaherty added.
"People should talk to their doctors about the proper management of warfarin and learn the signs of stroke so they can get to an emergency room immediately if a stroke occurs," he advised.
Flaherty, M. L. Warfarin use leads to larger intracerebral hematomas. Neurology, Vol. 71, September 30, 2008.
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