The Lipid Research Clinic at The University of Iowa is conducting a study to find out how well an investigational blood-thinning medication helps prevent strokes in people with the abnormal heart rhythm atrial fibrillation.
Jennifer Robinson, MD, MPH, epidemiologist, and program director of the Lipid Research Clinic at The University of Iowa College of Public Health, talks about the study:
Do people with an irregular heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, have an increased risk of stroke?
Yes, they have about a two or three times higher risk of stroke than those who don't have atrial fibrillation.
Why are blood thinning medications used to reduce the risk of stroke?
What happens with atrial fibrillation is that the top chamber of the heart doesn't pump regularly, so the blood pools or stagnates, and when blood is just sitting there, it tends to clot. So what we like to do is prevent those clots from forming, because a clot can break off and then go up to the brain and cause a stroke. What we're doing is giving people blood thinners. Sometimes we give people aspirin, but a lot of times we'll give them the blood thinners Warfarin or Coumadin to help to thin their blood.
Who qualifies to be part of this study?
Someone who's had atrial fibrillation any time in the past year. It can either have been treated and gone away or they still have it.
We also need people who have a risk factor that puts them at higher risk:
- People who need blood thinners
- People who have diabetes
- People who have high blood pressure
- People who have already had a stroke, or
- People who are over age 75
People can call us and discuss if they're at high enough risk to need the blood thinner.
What will participants be asked to do as part of the study?
We like them to come in for a screening visit and if they meet all of the conditions for the study, we randomly assign them either to the new drug—Adoxa BAN—or to Warfarin. They'll be getting a blood thinner, no matter what they get treated with in the study. We ask them to come in once a month for a blood check.
How long will this study last?
Two to three years is how long each participant will be taking part.
What is the hope this new blood thinning medication will do for people with atrial fibrillation?
Warfarin is a drug that's been around for ages and is used routinely to thin people's blood. The problem with it is that the levels are affected by what people eat, so the levels can go too high, the blood can get too thin; and when it's too thin, people can bleed.
The other problem is if the Warfarin levels go too low, the blood isn't thinned enough and then they can have blood clots and strokes.
These new drugs—and Adoxa BAN is one of a number of drugs—thin the blood the same amount all the time. So it's always at a safe level and the blood doesn't need to be monitored once a month like it does for the Warfarin. We think it's going to be a lot safer because the blood doesn't get too thin and cause bleeding; and we also think it will be more effective because the blood won't get too thick and let blood clots form to cause a stroke.
If someone wanted to learn more about this study, whom should they contact?
They can call us at 800-887-6917 or if they're in the Iowa City area, they can call us at 319-384-5046. |
