Blood Thinner Easier To Use Than Warfarin

A new drug is just as effective as warfarin (Coumadin) for preventing a second blood clot in a vein, new research finds. More important, researchers said, the drug, dabigatran, is easier to manage. Both drugs are blood thinners. People taking warfarin need frequent blood tests to make sure their blood clotting time is neither too fast nor too slow. Unlike warfarin, dabigatran does not interact with foods or most other drugs. People don’t need regular blood tests. The study included 2,500 people with venous thromboembolism. This is a clot in a vein. People were assigned at random to receive one of the two drugs. After 6 months, about 2% of each group had another clot in a vein. People who took dabigatran were less likely to have any bleeding than those who took warfarin. Serious side effects were similar in both groups.