After a brain bleed, newer blood thinners were linked to far fewer strokes — and no extra bleeding

Survivors of a bleed in the brain who also have an irregular heartbeat face a cruel dilemma: blood thinners prevent strokes but might trigger another bleed. A University of Helsinki study of 1,502 people, average age 78, published in Neurology, compared the newer generation of thinners with the older drug warfarin and with no treatment. One year on, strokes had occurred in under 1% of people on the newer medicines, against 2% on warfarin and 4% on none — while new bleeds were lowest on the newer drugs too. Compared with no treatment, they were associated with 83% lower stroke risk and 80% lower risk of death. Observational data cannot prove cause, but for frightened patients it is a reassuring map.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation