Group compares anticoagulants as stroke prophylaxis in NVAF

Clinicians should routinely offer anticoagulant therapy to patients with NVAF and a history of transient ischemic attack or stroke. On the other hand, anticoagulants might not be necessary in NVAF patients who lack additional risk factors for stroke.

Clinicians should use a risk-stratification scheme to help them identify patients at a higher risk for stroke and those with no clinically significant risk. However, anticoagulation thresholds are not necessarily  definitive indicators of the need for anticoagulant therapy.

When choosing among anticoagulants, clinicians should consider the individual patient’s needs and take into account the aforementioned efficacy and safety data.

For more details, see the guidelines in Neurology.