The anticoagulation dilemma and future treatment avenues in patients with breast cancer and atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, with a substantial rise in global incidence and prevalence. Ischemic stroke is a frequent complication of AF, since AF perfectly fulfills Virchow's triad of blood stasis, vascular damage and hypercoagulation, making oral anticoagulation (OAC) obligatory for stroke prevention. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), such as dabigatran, which inhibits thrombin, and apixaban, edoxaban and rivaroxaban, which block the activated coagulation factor X (FXa), have some advantages and are largely replacing coumarin-based OAC.
Source: International Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research