DOACs may work better than warfarin to prevent blood clots. Unless there's a reason you shouldn’t take them, your doctor will probably prescribe DOACs.ĭOACs: These newer blood thinners block a protein that helps form blood clots. There are two types of blood thinners: direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin. What Kind of Blood Thinner Should I Take? This is true for all types of AFib, including paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent AFib. Your doctor will probably suggest long-term blood thinner treatment. If you score 2 or more points and you're a man, or 3 or more points and you’re a woman, you’re at medium to high risk of stroke. If it works for you, you may not need to take a blood thinner long-term. Your doctor may want you to take a blood thinner for a few weeks before and after you have an AFib treatment called cardioversion.Ĭardioversion delivers an electrical shock to your heart that can bring it back into a normal rhythm. If you score 0 and you’re a man, or 1 and you’re a woman, your stroke risk is low. Vascular disease, such as a heart attack or peripheral artery disease = 1.The higher your score, the more likely you are to have a stroke. You get 1 or 2 points for each risk factor you have. These include your age and other health conditions. Your score is based on how many stroke risk factors you have. Your doctor will probably use a formula called CHA 2DS 2-VASc to add up your stroke risk score. How Will My Doctor Figure Out My Stroke Risk? On average, blood thinners reduce your risk of an AFib-related stroke by more than 50%. And while they can’t break up clots you have already, they can stop them from growing. How Do Blood Thinners Lower My Stroke Risk?ĭespite their name, blood thinners don’t really thin your blood. Clots are the most common cause of stroke. The clots also can travel to other parts of your body, such as your legs or kidneys, where they can cut off your blood flow and damage your nearby tissue. There, they can block an artery and cause you to have a stroke. ![]() When your heart pumps out the clots, they can move to your brain. This slows down its pumping action, which can cause blood to pool in your heart’s upper chamber and form clots. Your fast, out-of-sync heartbeat with AFib makes it harder for your heart to squeeze, or contract, strongly. ![]() For most people with AFib, the benefits of blood thinners are greater than their risks.
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