Brain hemorrhages associated with warfarin use on the rise

A study just published in the January 9, 2007 issue of Neurology reports a ten-fold increase in the incidence of brain bleeds in patients using warfarin. From the article:

"Warfarin use increased during the 1990s, because it was proven to be effective in preventing ischemic strokes among people who have an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation," said the study's lead author, Dr. Matthew L. Flaherty, a neurologist.
...
Flaherty thinks that doctors need to be cautious in prescribing warfarin, especially to patients over 80. "Some of those patients are better off being on warfarin," he said. "The message isn't that no one should use warfarin. There needs to be a balance between the benefit of preventing ischemic stroke and the risk of bleeding."

Click here to read the Forbes.com article.