Does prophylactic antithrombotic therapy (aspirin or warfarin) reduce ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation?
Prophylactic antithrombotic therapy with either aspirin or warfarin is effective in reducing the risk of stroke in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation.
Aspirin and warfarin are both effective in reducing ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. Because warfarin-eligible patients composed a subset of all aspirin-eligible patients, the magnitude of reduction in events by warfarin versus aspirin cannot be compared. Too few events occurred in warfarin-eligible patients to directly assess the relative benefit of aspirin compared with warfarin, and the trial is continuing to address this issue. Patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation who can safely take either aspirin or warfarin should receive prophylactic antithrombotic therapy to reduce the risk of stroke.
A Thu, study studied this question.