A Novel Model for Prediction of Thromboembolic and Cardiovascular Events in Patients without Atrial Fibrillation

Patients without atrial fibrillation (AF) constitute approximately 75% of patients with thromboembolic events (TE: ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and systemic embolism)1 but evidence supporting risk stratification and prophylactic treatment in these patients is sparse. The latter may be explained by the lack of an intervention that, beyond treatment of hypertension and cholesterol, reduces TE risk in patients without AF. However, the COMPASS (Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies) trial, that almost exclusively included patients without AF, showed that the combination of aspirin and low-dose rivaroxaban, compared to aspirin alone, reduced the relative risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 24% and stroke by 42%; the latter being the major driver of the reduced MACE rate.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research