An NHS drive to roll out blood-thinning drugs to people with atrial fibrillation (AF) has prevented almost 17,000 strokes, according to NHS England.
Almost half a million people at increased risk of strokes have started taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the last 18 months, following a major NHS drive rapidly to expand their use.
Since January 2022, around 460,000 more people have started taking the anticoagulant drugs, with more than 24 million prescriptions given to patients. This, NHS England estimated, had now prevented an estimated 17,000 strokes and 4,000 deaths.
The drugs treat and preventing blood clots in patients with AF, or an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, which can be symptomless until a stroke occurs. Around 1.5 million people in England are living with AF, with the condition estimated to cause one in five strokes.
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Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the use of four DOACs. This was followed by the NHS striking a series of commercial deals in 2021 to ensure the drugs could reach hundreds of thousands more patients at pace.
This, in turn, led to the accelerated roll-out programme. Some 90% of patients with AF are now as a result receiving treatment, NHS England has said.
Speaking at the annual conference of the King’s Fund think-tank, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “It’s outstanding news that these drugs have potentially helped save thousands of lives already and prevented many more people from suffering the serious and often debilitating effects of strokes.
“It is also part of a major NHS drive to prevent ill health in the first place – we want to reduce the number of people living with major illness and save thousands more lives and from the rollout of these drugs to blood pressure checks in barber shops and supermarkets, we are ensuring we are doing all we can to achieve this.
“This incredible progress has not only been transformative for patients and their families but is another vital example of the NHS using its purchasing power to deliver the latest life-saving medicines for our patients at affordable prices for the taxpayer,” Pritchard added.
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