Some Bleeding Risk Seen With Xarelto Vs. Pradaxa
Some Bleeding Risk Seen With Xarelto Vs. Pradaxa By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Oct. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The blood thinner Xarelto may pose a slightly greater risk of serious bleeding than Pradaxa in patients with the abnormal heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation , new research suggests. Most patients with the condition take a blood thinner to reduce the risk of stroke . Although these drugs help prevent stroke, they can also cause uncontrollable bleeding, which can be fatal, the researchers said. Two newer drugs -- Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Pradaxa (dabigatran) -- are replacing the older drug warfarin, a medication that is notoriously difficult to monitor. Which of these newer drugs is safer, however, hasn't been proven, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers behind the new study. "There are now several new oral anticoagulants and we don't have a lot of studies that compare one...