Anticoagulation therapy is beneficial for Asian patients with atrial fibrillation, and the benefits of stroke prevention typically outweigh the perceived risks of bleeding and falls.
Does oral anticoagulation improve stroke prevention without excessive bleeding risk in Asian patients with atrial fibrillation?
This narrative review highlights that common physician concerns regarding age, bleeding, and falls in Asian AF patients are largely unfounded, emphasizing the need for guideline-adherent anticoagulation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) has long been known to increase the risk of stroke. As a result, relevant international guidelines recommend that measures to reduce the risk of thrombus formation should be considered in all patients presenting with AF. Based on risk assessment scores, patients would then receive either thrombocyte aggregation inhibitors or oral anticoagulants. Despite this advice, compliance rates with the recommendations are poor across all countries surveyed. Evidence from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field (GARFIELD) registry shows that major deviation from guidelines is due in large part to physicians' decision-making. In this brief narrative review, we address some of the frequent reasons cited by physicians why the guidelines are disregarded for Asian patients.
Aribou et al. (Thu,) conducted a review in Atrial Fibrillation. Anticoagulation vs. No anticoagulation or aspirin was evaluated. Anticoagulation therapy is beneficial for Asian patients with atrial fibrillation, and the benefits of stroke prevention typically outweigh the perceived risks of bleeding and falls.