The use of anticoagulant medications (warfarin (coumadin)) commonly referred to as blood thinners is an important therapeutic choice in preventing strokes and blood clots. A study, published in the January 9, 2007, issue of the journal Neurology looked at the outcomes of its use especially in the older population. It showed that the rate of intracerebral (brain) hemorrhages associated with blood-thinning drugs quintupled during the 1990s, and in people over 80 the rate increased more than ten-fold.

• Dr. Matthew Flaherty, assistant professor of neurology at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.