Dabigatran Versus Warfarin

摘要

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting about 1 % of patients younger than 60 and about 8% of patients older than 80. AF causes significant morbidity and mortality, impairing cardiac function and increasing the risk of embolic stroke. Without anticoagulation, patients with AF have a risk of stroke of about 4.5% per year.The use of warfarin (Coumadin) reduces the risk of stroke by about 70% (from 4.5% to 1.4% per year). Aspirin reduces the risk of stroke by about 20%. Thus, warfarin is more effective than aspirin but has a higher risk of bleeding. Warfarin is more effective than combination aspirin with clopidogrel (Plavix), with equal risk of bleeding. Combination warfarin with aspirin has no increased benefit but has an increased risk of bleeding.