The boom in blood thinners
Atrial fibrillation is one of the cardiac arrhythmias and is a fairly common disease, especially in the elderly population. The heart beats irregularly and often unusually fast, rarely slower than usual. The consequences are tiredness, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Sales of chemical blood thinners are therefore booming. If left untreated, atrial fibrillation could lead to thromboembolism, a complication in which small blood clots break loose in the atria of the heart, subsequently blocking blood vessels and leading to a stroke. The risk of having a stroke increases fivefold with atrial fibrillation.
It is therefore said that blood thinners would have saved countless lives.
Chemical blood thinners and the risk of dementia
Studies have now shown that chemical blood thinners also harbor a previously unknown danger: they can lead to dementia in patients ( 2 ).
It was very specific Warfarin, the preferred blood thinner in the United States. In Europe, on the other hand, Marcumar is more likely to be prescribed. However, both drugs belong to the same drug group and work on the same mechanism of action.
An estimated 20 million Americans are currently taking warfarin. However, just like other blood thinners, it can lead to tiny bleedings in the brain, which in turn can have negative effects on brain functions over time and thus promote dementia.
Dementia especially in warfarin patients with atrial fibrillation
At the 37th meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society study results were presented, which were derived from data from more than 10,000 patients. Each of these patients was a long-term user of warfarin. Some took the drug for atrial fibrillation, some for heart valve problems, and still others to prevent thromboembolism. No one had had dementia to begin with.
After 7 years, however, it was found that dementia diseases had developed particularly in the group of atrial fibrillation patients. Almost 6 percent showed symptoms of dementia.
The study was conducted by Dr. T. Jared Bunch and his research team at Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute performed in Salt Lake City, Utah ( 1 ).
Risk of dementia independent of the quality of warfarin management
Warfarin is known to require very precise dosing. It’s almost like walking a tightrope, with patients constantly balancing the risk of blood clots on the one hand and internal bleeding on the other.
Each patient also reacts differently to the drug. In addition, the effect of warfarin is influenced by various factors (lifestyle and diet, other medications, etc.). And last but not least, it takes a while (about 3 to 7 days) for the full effect of the drug to kick in.
So it can go a long way to finding the right dose of medication for each individual.
Previous studies had already shown that poor warfarin management, i.e. taking inappropriate doses, can increase the risk of dementia in patients with atrial fibrillation ( 6 ).
The present study supports these earlier findings. In fact, the risk of dementia was increased in people with poor warfarin management.
Nevertheless, it was found that the dementia rates in warfarin patients also increased when the drug was dosed perfectly and the dose was regularly checked and adjusted ( 3 ) ( 4 ).
So whether the dose of warfarin is too high, too low, or just right, the risk of dementia increases once the blood thinners are taken.
Risk of dementia increases in all warfarin patients – regardless of the indication
The present study also found that the risk of dementia increased not only in patients taking the drug used to treat atrial fibrillation, but in all patients who took warfarin, regardless of why they were taking it.
dr Bunch therefore strongly advises that you only take blood thinners such as warfarin and marcumar if you really need to. Other drugs that also inhibit blood clotting, such as B. Aspirin for headaches, fever, etc., should not be taken at all by Warfarin or Marcumar patients ( 5 ).
Natural blood thinning with nattokinase
Nattokinase is an enzyme that can be obtained from fermented soybeans (the Japanese dish natto). It was found that it – without any side effects – has a good blood-thinning, i.e. clot-dissolving effect and can therefore be used to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
The enzyme is now available in capsule form. Of course, nattokinase should only be used after consultation with the doctor and under no circumstances should an existing medication be exchanged for nattokinase on your own initiative. You can read here about how the blood can be kept healthy and thin in a natural way as a preventive measure: Natural blood thinners