Circannual variations in the international normalized ratio (INR) among mechanical heart valve surgery patients on life-long warfarin

ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge. This is the first study in the Middle-East extending European and North-American data on circannual changes in INR. Our results confirm the existence of such a rhythm; however the mechanism is unknown. Our findings recognize winter as a challenging season for maintaining optimum anti-coagulation, possibly requiring higher number of outpatient visits and INR determinations, with implications for health care costs.
Source: Journal of the Saudi Heart Association - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research