B Acad Nat Med Paris
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B Acad Nat Med Paris · Apr 2011
[Thrombotic risk factors and antithrombotic treatment in atrial fibrillation].
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, and its incidence is rising as the population ages. AF is therefore a growing source of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to thromboembolic complications and heart failure. The risk of embolic stroke is multiplied by about 5.6-fold in non rheumatic AF and by 17.6-fold in rheumatic AF Strokes due to AF are often fatal or disabling. ⋯ Current guidelines recommend vitamin K antagonist or dabigatran anticoagulation for patients with a CHADS2 score of 2. Patients with a score of 0 should receive either aspirin or no drug therapy, while patients with a score of 1 may receive either a vitamin K antagonist or aspirin. After successful AF ablation, the existing antithrombotic strategy should be pursued New strategies based on antithrombin or anti-Xa medications will probably have a better risk-benefit ratio.