MURRAY, Utah: A life-saving drug could also cause a life-altering disease. That’s the findings from research from Intermountain Medical Center who studied more than 10,000 patients. Doctors say there’s a direct link between blood thinners like warfarin and dementia.
Every day thousands of Utahns take a daily regimen of medications for heart health, especially those with atrial fibrillation or an irregular heart beat.
“So instead of being uniformed in the upper chambers, they are chaotic and irregular,” said Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute Dr. Jared Bunch.
To control it, doctors most commonly prescribe warfarin. These three intermountain medical center heart institute patients tell of their troubles using warfarin.
“Coumadin is awful, you bleed a lot, you bruise a lot,” said patient Mary Ellen Kaull.
“That’s what it is, rat poison, coumadin,” said Wilford Brimley.
“The coumadin was doing terrible things to my insides so they took me of of that right at that point,” said Marcia Swenson.
A recent Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute study finds long term, loosely monitored warfarin use can affect the brain and cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.