Blood Thinners Use Questionable After Experiencing Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Patients who restart their blood thinners after a bleeding episode have a 39% decreased risk of dying over the next 2 years even though their risk of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding increased, according to a study done on 871 patients from Spain published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The findings indicate that the benefits of early restarting anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy outweigh the gastrointestinal? related risks.

"Our study provides information to balance the risks and benefits of the global management of these two pharmacological groups of drugs widely associated with increased gastrointestinal bleeding risk," the authors wrote.

Source-Eurekalert