New warning over blood thinners
They're some of the most dangerous drugs on the planet -- a widely used class of medication with a notoriously high risk of complications up to and including death.
But a new report claims the real problem with powerful new blood thinners such as Xarelto, Pradaxa, and Eliquis ISN'T the drugs themselves.
It's the media!
"The direct oral anticoagulants have been getting a lot of bad press," Dr. Byron Lee of UC San Francisco told HealthDay News. "Late-night TV commercials about class-action lawsuits scare patients into believing these new drugs are dangerous."
It's true that the media can blow things out of proportion -- but, in this case, it's not the media or the lawsuits that are scary.
It's the drugs themselves!
If anything, these drugs haven't been given ENOUGH "bad press" -- because people are still taking them.
And they're still suffering the consequences.
The new study is part of the problem. It's getting plenty of attention -- GOOD press, mind you -- that will make patients believe these meds are safer than they've been hearing from TV commercials and the media.
But it doesn't really prove they're safe.
All the researchers did was compare the newer blood thinners to the old standard, warfarin, and they found that they have about the same risk level.
Even if that's true -- and I have my doubts on that one -- that's nothing to brag about.
Warfarin itself is one of the most dangerous drugs ever approved. One of the key reasons the expensive newer meds were pushed to the market was to give patients a safer option -- not a drug that's JUST as bad.
Yet the new study shows that's pretty much what they are -- and the numbers in the new study certainly aren't anything to brag about.
Over nearly three months, roughly 1 in 33 patients on these meds experienced a major bleeding problem, and about 1 in 50 actually DIED.
That's not exactly a chance I'd want to take.
And fortunately, in many cases, it's not a chance YOU have to take.
The best way to thin the blood is to work closely with a doctor who can find why it thickened in the first place.
One common cause is high levels of a protein called fibrinogen.
The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can effectively slash fibrinogen and thin the blood without the same risk of bleeding problems.
This is very serious business, so don't make any changes to your meds or supplements on your own. Work closely with a holistic medical doctor.