Reducing the Risk of Stroke

Yoshikazu Takahashi, of Nigata, Japan, was diagnosed with non valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) when he was 60 years old.

He had experienced a bout of lightheadedness that sent him to his doctor, who detected the disease after evaluating data from the 24-hour cardiac monitor he had Yoshikazu wear.
 
In NVAF, electrical activity in the heart is disordered, causing an abnormal and irregular heart rhythm that may result in blood clots that can travel from the heart to the brain and trigger a stroke.
 
Yoshikazu thought NVAF was a minor condition, until both his doctor and his son, an Eliquis sales representative for Bristol Myers Squibb Japan, told him otherwise.
 

“I never imagined that nonvalvular atrial fibrillation could lead to something more serious. I was relieved when my doctor explained more about the disease and how Eliquis could reduce my risk of having a stroke,” Yoshikazu said.

Yoshikazu (center), with his son, Hiroaki Takahashi, and granddaughter, Mei Takahashi, had not realized that NVAF increased the risk of stroke.

Yoshikazu retired from his position at a paper trading company and is back to work as a sales assistant at a printing company, accompanying sales representatives when they meet with clients. Today, six years since his diagnosis, his is grateful that his doctor prescribed Eliquis for him.

“After I learned more about the possible risks of stroke associated with NVAF, the fact that I have not suffer a stroke holds special meaning to me,” he said.

Eliquis remains the number one oral anticoagulant globally; it is used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people who have nonvalular atrial fibrillation; to treat blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and lungs (pulmonary embolism), and to reduce the risk of them occurring again, and to reduce the risk of the formation of a blood clot in the legs and lungs in people who have had hip or knee replacement surgery.