FDA approves new blood thinner for irregular heartbeat

FDA approves new blood thinner for irregular heartbeat
Federal health officials have expanded the approval of a drug to thin the blood of millions of new patients with a common heart problem that can cause stroke and deadly blood clots.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Xarelto in patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes the heart's upper chambers to beat chaotic and ineffective. About 2.2 million people in the U.S. have the condition, which is the leading cause of stroke.

Xarelto offers a new alternative to warfarin, an anticoagulant in blood 60 years can be difficult to prescribe. Too much warfarin can cause dangerous internal bleeding, and too little can cause strokes.

Xarelto was previously approved to prevent stroke in patients undergoing hip and knee. Bayer and Johnson & Johnson co-developed the pill once a day.
FDA approves new blood thinner for irregular heartbeat