HealthCare News
Heart Valve Patients Who Manage Their Own Blood Thinners May Do BetterTUESDAY, Nov. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with mechanical heart valves may benefit from managing their own blood thinners, a new study suggests. "There are several reasons that patients who self-manage treatment have better outcomes than those who follow standard management," said study leader Dr. Thomas Decker Christensen, from Aarhus University Hospital, in Denmark. "Self-management patients receive more detailed information about oral anticoagulation therapy; they also learn more about the influence that diet, infectious diseases, alcohol, and other drug interactions can have on their treatment than do patients receiving standard management," Christensen explained. "We believe that the majority of patients who have a mechanical heart valve inserted during surgery should be able to manage their oral anticoagulant therapy, and recommend this as the standard treatment approach for these patients," he concluded. Read entire article... |
