Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke. A Review on the Use of Vitamin K Antagonists and Novel Oral Anticoagulants

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, ranging from 0.1% in patients <55 years to >9% in octogenarian patients. One important issue is represented by the 5-fold increased ischemic stroke risk in AF patients. Hence, the role of anticoagulation is central. Until a few years ago,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Caturano, Alfredo, Galiero, Raffaele, Pafundi, Pia Clara
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2019
Materias:
Review
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6843417/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31547188
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/medicina55100617
Descripción
Sumario:Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, ranging from 0.1% in patients <55 years to >9% in octogenarian patients. One important issue is represented by the 5-fold increased ischemic stroke risk in AF patients. Hence, the role of anticoagulation is central. Until a few years ago, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and low molecular weight heparin represented the only option to prevent thromboembolisms, though with risks. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have radically changed the management of AF patients, improving both life expectancy and life quality. This review aims to summarize the most recent literature on the use of VKAs and NOACs in AF, in light of the new findings.

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