Margaret Fang
Warfarin is a medication that controls the ability of blood to clot. It is prescribed for people with heart disease. It is also one of the most dangerous drugs, because if people get too much of it, they can start bleeding dangerously and with too little, the protection can fail. Researchers in the US have followed a large number of people on warfarin to find out whether the benefits are worth the risks.
For Australia's Radio National program
The Health Report, Norman Swan interviews Margaret Fang, MD, MPH, who has been studying the risks and benefits of warfarin for older patients. For a number of years, Fang and colleagues have followed a cohort of 13,559 people in Northern California with atrial fibrillation, looking at specific outcomes of stroke and hemorrhage both on and off warfarin.
Fang is assistant adjunct professor of medicine at UCSF and hospitalist at UCSF Medical Center.
Related Links:
Warfarin
The Health Report, ABC (Australia) Radio National, August 13, 2007
Older Age a Risk Factor for Brain Hemorrhage in Patients Both on and off Common Blood Thinner Therapy
UCSF News Release, August 1, 2006
Women with Atrial Fibrillation Face a Higher Risk of Ischemic Stroke than Men
USCF News Release, September 12, 2005
