An estimated 5,000 lives may be saved and 21,000 strokes avoided over three years thanks to the NHS scaling-up the use of blood thinning drugs. The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) prevent strokes by treating and preventing blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that causes an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate, and is responsible for an estimated one in five strokes.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. It’s the UK’s fourth biggest killer and a leading cause of
