Renal function considerations for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation

Renal impairment increases risk of stroke and systemic embolic events and bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation. Direct oral anticoagulants have varied dependence on renal elimination, magnifying the importance of appropriate patient selection, dosing, and periodic kidney function monitoring. In randomized controlled trials of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, direct oral anticoagulants were at least as effective and associated with less bleeding compared with warfarin. Each direct oral anticoagulant was associated with reduced risk of stroke and systemic embolic events and major bleeding compared with warfarin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients with mild or moderate renal impairment.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research