Improving anticoagulation management in patients with atrial fibrillation

摘要

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most commonly occurring cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with an increased risk of acute ischemic stroke.1 The magnitude of risk depends on the presence of certain patient characteristics-age and a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, moderately or severely impaired left ventricular systolic function, heart failure, prior ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or systemic embolism-and varies across different patient groups. In patients with AF, long-term anticoagulation therapy decreases the future risk of stroke by preventing thrombus formation.2 Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), such as warfarin (Coumadin, Bristol-Myers Squibb), are currently the standard of care for stroke prevention in these patients. Long-term warfarin thromboprophylaxis has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke by approximately 60% in patients with AF.