American heart journal
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American heart journal · Feb 2017
Review Meta AnalysisVitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention in hemodialysis patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The use of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in hemodialysis patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is controversial. No randomized trials are available and observational studies have yielded conflicting results, engendering a large clinical practice variability and physician uncertainty. An unresolved but highly relevant question is whether AF poses a true risk of ischemic stroke in hemodialysis and whether any form of oral anticoagulation is therefore warranted. ⋯ Our meta-analysis revealed a trend for a reduction of the risk of ischemic stroke in hemodialysis patients with AF treated with VKA. The true protective effect may have been underestimated, owing to inclusion of low-risk patients not expected to benefit from anticoagulation and to suboptimal anticoagulation. However, assessment of the overall effect of VKA in hemodialysis patients should also take into account the increased risk of bleeding, in particular of hemorrhagic stroke. Whether new oral anticoagulants provide a better benefit-risk ratio in hemodialysis patients should be the subject of future trials.
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American heart journal · Feb 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialAtorvastatin for high-risk statin-naïve patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: The Lowering the Risk of Operative Complications Using Atorvastatin Loading Dose (LOAD) randomized trial.
Preliminary evidence suggests that statins may prevent major perioperative vascular complications.