The anti-clotting drug warfarin is safe and beneficial for people aged 80 and over, according to a new report. But the drug is being prescribed to fewer than half of older people with a heart condition that puts them at high risk of stroke who would benefit from warfarin, a second study suggests. Atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition characterized by irregular heart rhythms, affects 2.6 million Americans. AF risk increases with age. People with AF are more likely to suffer a stroke than people without AF. That’s because their erratic heartbeats allow blood to pool and form clots in the heart. The clots can travel to the brain and block blood flow, causing a stroke
