Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

FAQ Update: For stroke prevention—warfarin (Coumadin), an NOAC or aspirin?

Published June 20, 2018

We’ve updated our answer to the Frequently-Asked-Question (FAQ):

“For A-Fib patients, which is better to prevent an A-Fib-related stroke—warfarin (Coumadin), a NOAC, or aspirin?”

For decades, people more at risk for A-Fib-related stroke have been on warfarin (Coumadin). In the last few years, many of these patients have switched to the newer NOACs. A-Fib patients with low or no risk factors for stroke are often put on aspirin, or nothing at all.

Differences with the Same Goal

Aspirin is an antiplatelet drug that decreases the stickiness of circulating platelets (small blood cells that start the normal clotting process), so that they adhere to each other less and are less likely to form blood clots. (Cost: dirt cheap.)

Warfarin (brand name Coumadin) is an anticoagulant that works by slowing the production of blood clotting proteins made in the liver. Warfarin is highly effective, reducing the annual risk of stroke by approximately two thirds, but does require periodic lab tests to maintain the proper therapeutic level. (Cost: dirt cheap + lab tests.)

NOACs stands for Novel Oral AntiCoagulants. NOACs are alternatives for vitamin K antagonists (e.g., Warfarin). NOACs don’t require periodic blood testing as with warfarin. The clinical trials indicate NOACs work as well as warfarin. (Cost: Extremely expensive.)

—Continue reading—for the rest of our answer along with a few takeawys.