For the first time in nearly half a century, new stroke-preventing blood thinners are hitting the market.
How do they compare to the current standard?
Coumadin, the blood thinner most patients take to prevent clots, can cause bleeding complications if the dosage is off.
Blood thinning drugs like Pradaxa, the first new generation of blood thinners to be approved by the FDA, work differently then Coumadin and may have fewer drawbacks.
Coumadin costs about a dollar a day.
Pradaxa runs about eight.
Time will tell if fewer blood tests will narrow the price gap.
