People who have heart rhythm repair often wonder if they can stop their blood thinners. A major review looked at six studies involving patients who met standard guidelines for taking oral anticoagulation after catheter ablation. The team compared continuing these blood thinners against stopping them or switching to aspirin.
The results showed that stopping the medication did not lower the risk of stroke or other blood clots. The chance of a major stroke or a transient ischemic attack remained similar whether patients continued treatment or stopped. The risk of systemic embolism also did not differ between the groups.
Bleeding was numerically higher when patients continued the blood thinners, but this difference was not statistically significant. The overall benefit to health was slightly better or neutral with continued treatment. This suggests that stopping the drugs offers no clear advantage for preventing clots.
The review noted that the number of actual events was low in these studies. This means the results come with some uncertainty. Patients should not change their medication without talking to their doctor first.
