Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Winter 2014 - (Page 1)

Back on the Beat A new procedure helps prevent stroke in "A-fib" patients who can't use blood thinners T he debilitating effects of stroke often last long after makes it harder for the heart's upper and lower chambers the first signs appear; a survivor may face months- to stay in sync, there's a higher chance of stroke-causing sometimes years-of rehabilitation to relearn basic blood clots forming. Stroke is the third-leading cause of skills that were lost. So when some death in the United States. Anticoagulant medications like patients learn that the blood thin- warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban or dabigatran can be pre- ner they're taking to help avoid a scribed to reduce the risk of stroke, but they expose patients stroke may be causing more harm to their to an increased bleeding risk and require frequent blood bodies, it can be terrifying. tests, monitoring and doctor visits. Patients with atrial fibrillation, or "A-fib," have hearts that beat irregularly and too fast. Nearly 3 million Americans have A-fib, and because the condition "We estimate that 20 percent of elderly A-fib patients Mukta Srivastava, MD cannot use blood thinners because of a history of gastrointestinal bleeding or other complications, so they are unprotected against stroke," says Mukta Srivastava, MD,

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Winter 2014

Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Winter 2014