Despite higher overall use than previously reported, a significant proportion of eligible patients with atrial fibrillation and stroke risk factors still do not receive indicated warfarin therapy.
In a large, contemporary cohort of ambulatory patients with atrial fibrillation who received care within a health maintenance organization, warfarin use was considerably higher than in other reported studies. Although the reasons why physicians did not prescribe warfarin could not be elucidated, many apparently eligible patients with atrial fibrillation and at least one additional risk factor for stroke, especially hypertension, did not receive anticoagulation. Interventions are needed to increase the use of warfarin for stroke prevention among appropriate candidates.
Go et al. (Tue,) studied this question.