Anticoagulation Treatment for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Is Increasing, But Further Improvements Needed

A recent paper by Hsu et  al.(1) assessed antithrombotic treatment among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. The data, from the American College of Cardiology PINNACLE (Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence) registry between 2008 and 2012, showed that 61.8% of patients with moderate-to-high stroke risk received anticoagulant therapy with either warfarin or newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The investigators and an editorial commentary noted the alarming prevalence of aspirin-only treatment despite clear evidence that anticoagulants are superior for prevention of thromboembolism in AF (1,2).
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research