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SoSTART: Start or STop Anticoagulants Randomised Trial

Type: Heart Stroke

Grant holder: Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, et al., University of Edinburgh

Amount Awarded: £89,909 over two years

Year: 2016 - Finished

Blood-thinning drugs like warfarin are very effective for preventing stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation (AF).  However, it is not known whether blood-thinning drugs are safe and effective for people with AF and a past history of bleeding in the brain, known as ‘brain haemorrhage’.  The researchers will set up two studies to address these treatment dilemmas.  These studies will be randomised controlled trials, which are the fairest test of treatments.  These trials will take place at some of the 116 hospitals in the UK that already participate in the RESTART trial.