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New anticoagulant treatments to protect against stroke in atrial fibrillation
Heart,
Clinical Article
Potpara TS et al. – In this review, the emerging role of the new oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is discussed.
- Warfarin has long been the ‘gold standard’ of oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF).
- Recently, the oral direct thrombin inhibitors and direct factor Xa inhibitors have emerged as attractive alternatives to warfarin and have already changed the landscape of stroke prevention in AF.
- The new anticoagulants have important advantages over warfarin.
- Despite their impressive performance in clinical trials, their long–term efficacy and safety still require evaluation in ‘real–world’ clinical practice.
