Macular Degeneration Eye Hemorrhage Risks Linked to Blood Thinners: Study

Researchers warn blood thinner eye bleeding risks increase when combined with other medications, particularly antiplatelet drugs.

South Korean researchers have discovered that people with macular degeneration who use blood thinners or anti-platelet drugs may face an increased risk of suffering eye hemorrhages, often requiring surgery.

According to findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open on September 11, patients using both types of drugs, including blood thinners like Warfarin or anti-platelet medications like Plavix, faced a nearly 130% increased risk of suffering eye bleeding and other complications including vision loss.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that causes deposits in the eye that blur or distort vision. Wet AMD is a less common type that leads to the growth of blood vessels under the retina, which leak blood and eye fluid. Both conditions can cause vision changes, including difficulty reading, seeing fine details and changes to color.

Risks of AMD increase with age and have been known to cause hemorrhages in the eye, which can eventually lead to vision loss.

Researchers from the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in South Korea conducted a national population-based study using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database.

Led by Dr. Se Joon Woo, the team studied nearly 150,000 patients in South Korea with wet age-related macular degeneration from May 2014 to April 2023.

The data indicated that using anticoagulants like Warfarin or anti-platelet therapies like Plavix increased a person’s risk of inner eye bleeding by 15%. The bleeding had to be treated with vitrectomy, a surgery that removes the fluid that fills the inside of the eye.

Using only anticoagulant drugs like Warfarin increased the risk of hemorrhage by 88%, while using only anti-platelet drugs like Plavix increased the risk by 37%. Patients who took their medications as directed without missing doses faced a 69% increased risk of bleeding, the researchers determined.

The greatest risk was seen when patients used a combination of both anticoagulants and anti-platelet drugs. When drugs like Warfarin and Plavix were combined, the risk of hemorrhage increased by 128%

Prior research has concluded patients with AMD faced a 7 to 8% increased risk of suffering a hemorrhage. The findings of the new study show that risk is far greater when patients are taking other medications.

The research team called for doctors to provide patients with AMD proactive communication and focused monitoring to help minimize their risk of suffering eye bleeding and the need for surgery.

Blood Thinner Health Risks

Other studies have also highlighted the risks blood thinners may pose to patients. Researchers from Duke University concluded Xarelto, Eliquis, Warfarin and other blood thinners increase the risk of death among hospital patients suffering from brain bleeds.

Additionally, blood thinners like Xarelto and Pradaxa carry the same risk of bleeding as the older blood thinner Warfarin does.

A similar study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan found using aspirin along with blood thinners like Xarelto increased the risk of serious bleeding problems. Patients often use the two together to prevent the risk of stroke.

Data from a 2021 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study indicated blood thinners are among the medications that cause the most hospitalizations and complications for patients older than 65 years of age.

Research published in 2018 warned Xarelto, Pradaxa and other blood thinners may also increase the risk of stroke among patients with atrial fibrillation, instead of helping to prevent them like they were designed to do.

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