Rate of anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage quintuples
The rate of anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage has increased dramatically since 1988, according to an observational study published in the journal Neurology. Researchers identified all patients hospitalized with first-ever intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the 5-county Greater Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky area during 3 unique time periods.
Key Points
"The downward trend for warfarin counting units per AAICH over time suggests that rates of AAICH increased more rapidly than the distribution of warfarin. This may be due to a disproportionate increase in warfarin use among elderly persons who have higher bleeding risks," the authors stated.
The authors stated that warfarin should still be considered to prevent ischemic stroke in appropriately selected patients with atrial fibrillation, as the treatment is highly effective and offers a favorable anticoagulation risk:benefit ratio in many patients. "Our findings should not discourage warfarin use when appropriate, but rather spur research into safer alternatives to warfarin, improved risk stratification for elderly patients, and better treatments for patients with hemorrhagic complications," the authors stated.
SOURCE Flaherty ML, Kissela B, Woo D, et al. The increasing incidence of anticoagulant-associated intra-cerebral hemorrhage. Neurology. 2007;68:116–121.
David Calabrese of OptumRx Talks Top Three Drugs in Pipeline, Industry Trends in Q2
July 1st 2020In this week's episode of Tuning Into The C-Suite podcast, MHE's Briana Contreras chatted with David Calabrese, R.Ph, MHP, who is senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer of pharmacy care services company, OptumRx. David is also a member of Managed Healthcare Executives’ Editorial Advisory Board. During the discussion, he shared the OptumRx Quarter 2 Drug Pipeline Insights Report of 2020. Some of the information shared includes the three notable drugs currently being reviewed or those that have been recently approved by the FDA. Also discussed were any interesting industry trends to watch for.
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