Addressing barriers to anticoagulant adherence and persistence in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation is crucial for improving stroke prevention outcomes.
Older adults with atrial fibrillation are at the highest risk of ischaemic stroke yet are the least likely to be prescribed anticoagulant therapy, adhere to this therapy, and maintain long-term persistence with this therapy. The reasons for this under treatment are multifactorial and include patient-driven factors, physician-driven factors, medical system complexities, and current unknowns regarding the biology and natural history of AF. Understanding these challenges to stroke prevention and addressing identified barriers to medication adherence and persistence in this vulnerable age group will improve outcomes related to AF.
Elaine M. Hylek (Tue,) studied this question.