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For Immediate Release
REDUCING RISK OF STROKE AMONG
PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
April 29, 1998
The Aspirin Foundation of America said today that the latest study by the Stroke Prevention in
Atrial Fibrillation Investigators, published in the April 22 issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association, helps highlight the role of aspirin in reducing the risk of stroke in patients
with atrial fibrillation (AF).
The study of 892 AF patients found that those who did not exhibit additional risk factors for
stroke or high blood pressure could be effectively treated with a daily dose of regular strength
(325 mg.) aspirin. Patients in this group had a "low risk of stroke, particularly disabling
ischemic stroke, when taking aspirin."
Researchers said that low-risk AF patients "may not benefit substantially from treatment with
warfarin, since their rate of stroke during aspirin therapy is sufficiently low that warfarin could
only minimally reduce the absolute rate of stroke." The identification of the benefits of aspirin
is thus particularly important to low-risk sufferers from AF who traditionally are placed on life-
long anticoagulation medication such as warfarin, which carries a higher risk of bleeding and
requires greater medical monitoring.
It is estimated that some two million Americans suffer from AF, which is characterized by an
irregular heart beat that originates in the upper atrial chambers of the heart.
"This study on aspirin is encouraging news and holds a great deal of promise for low-risk AF
patients," commented Aspirin Foundation of America president Dr. Thomas Bryant. "To be
able to use a low-cost, low-risk proven medication like aspirin instead of a lifetime of
anticoagulants is clearly a step in the right direction for improving the lives of AF sufferers.
Needless to say, AF patients should continue to consult their physician regarding their own
proper treatment regimen."
The Aspirin Foundation of America is a non-profit, educational foundation that has been
collecting and disseminating health and scientific information on aspirin since 1981.
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Contact:
Caroline Perrin
807 National Press Building, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 800-432-3247 Fax: 202/737-8406
info@aspirin.org
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