Indications for Anticoagulant Therapy

Long-Term Anticoagulant TherapyRheumatic Heart DiseaseThere are only a few studies on the protective effect of long-term anticoagulant therapy in rheumatic heart disease, but from the data recorded this may be a major therapeutic indication for such therapy. In Owren's study17 a group of 17 patients with disease of the mitral valve, fibrillation and recurrent embolic incidents before therapy experienced only 3 or 4 embolic episodes in a total treatment period of ninety-four years. In a corresponding observation period for each patient before the start of therapy, a total of 35 major embolic episodes had been recorded. In another . . .