The recent study has shown that a device placed in the heart is more effective in reducing risk of stroke due to a common heart-rhythm disorder as compared to anti-clotting drug.

The device known as the Watchman is an expandable cage. It is specially designed to keep harmful blood clots usually forming in the left atrial appendage of the heart, away from entering the blood stream hence leading to a stroke. "Watchman" is made by privately held Atritech Inc. of Plymouth, Minn.

Atritech says that the device is placed just behind or at the opening of the left atrial appendage, isolating the appendage where the vast majority of clots are formed.

Researchers analyzed data collected from 707 patients with a type of the rhythm disorder known as non-valvular atrial fibrillation. During study 463 study subjects were randomly assigned to the Watchman and 244 to Warfarin.

Data analysis revealed that there was 30% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death and stroke when patients used the device. Rates of procedure-related complications in the device were much lower as compared to complications after Warfarin treatment was stopped in the other group.