Many Atrial Fibrillation Patients Missing Out on Blood Thinners

Half aren't being given these potentially lifesaving medications when discharged from hospital, researchers say.

Half of patients hospitalized with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation aren't given blood-thinning drugs that reduce the risk of clots and stroke, a new study finds.

Atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, puts people at higher risk for blood clots and stroke, researchers from Duke University said.

They analyzed nearly 1.6 million admissions for atrial fibrillation at 812 hospitals across the United States over five years and found that only 46 percent of patients received blood thinners at discharge.

"This low rate of [blood thinner] use in hospitalized patients highlights an important opportunity to improve care in atrial fibrillation patients," said study co-author Dr. Sean Pokorney, an electrophysiology fellow at Duke School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.

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