Close the appendage, open the future

Left atrial appendage closure is a proven method for prevention against stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. This method is proven for having clinical utility as well as safety. The need for coverage in this area is immense. Atrial fibrillation affects 1%–2% of the entire adult population.1 Of all ischaemic strokes, 15% are associated with atrial fibrillation. Both the CHADS2 and the CHA2DS2-VASc risk scores have been used for determining the level of anticoagulation in these patients. Multiple anticoagulants have been used for prevention of ischaemic stroke, including warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban. The main purpose of the ‘new’ oral anticoagulants is to provide anticoagulants without the additional need for monitoring. The Amplatzer Cardiac Plug and the second-generation Amulet device have a large history of registry data since the device was first implanted in 2008. The paper by Lopez-Minguez et al2 reports results...
Source: Heart - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Drugs: cardiovascular system, Epidemiology Editorials Source Type: research