This is Michael Brady Lynch, Lead Trial Attorney for the Michael Brady Lynch Firm.
Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute published a study warning people with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (AFib) that they may have a heightened risk of developing dementia while taking clot-preventing drugs like Xarelto. The study researched over 6,000 people who reported side effects while taking Xarelto. Over a six to eight year period, almost 6% of AFib patients developed dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia, which affects around 3 million adults in the United States. The upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of contracting. Even though the condition is not immediately life-threatening, but it can cause blood clots in the heart. If a clot dislodges, it can trigger a stroke. Patients take Xarelto to help combat the poor blood flow along with stroke prevention.
Dementia Risk
Dementia is a chronic disorder, which encompasses a wide array of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills. Currently, 47.5 million people have dementia and each year there are 7.7 million new cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Even though people with AFib are generally older, dementia is NOT a normal part of aging. Therefore, researchers accounted for that in their data. They still found AFib patients taking Xarelto had more than double the risk of dementia than other patients did. AFib patients had the highest risk, but Xarelto raised the risk for other patients too.
Other Risks
Dementia isn’t the only risk associated with Xarelto. Because Xarelto is a blood thinner, it inhibits the blood’s ability to clot. Patients taking the drug can experience uncontrollable bleeding events. There is no antidote to reverse the anti-clotting effect of Xarelto in an emergency. This means doctors and surgeons may have limited options. This means that a treatable injury in most people can be fatal for Xarelto users.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious bleeding incident due to Xarelto – or if such an incident claimed the life of a loved one – you need to contact us today. Why should you hire an attorney? Because it may be the only way to get you, the resources you need to move on with your life. Nothing can take back what has happened. However, it’s very likely this ordeal has placed a huge burden on your family both financially and emotionally. You don’t deserve this, and you need to seek compensation for it.
Call the Michael Brady Lynch Firm today if a Xarelto bleeding incident has hurt you or a loved one. We have devoted our careers to helping people like you. Consultations are always free and without obligation, so let us tell you what we can do to help you and your family.