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Updated: May 25, 2026

The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Dabigatran in clinical practice for atrial fibrillation with special reference to activated partial thromboplastin
Shinya Suzuki1, Takayuki Otsuka, Koichi Sagara
1Department of Cardiology, The Cardiovascular Institute, Tokyo, Japan. sinsuz-tky@umin.ac.jp
Background:
The distribution of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients under dabigatran therapy remains to be clarified.
Methods And Results:
The study population was 196 NVAF patients who were treated with dabigatran in 2011 (126 with 220 mg/day). The APTT values showed a wide distribution among the patients, especially in those with a reduced dose, who seemed to show a high value even in patients without contraindications.
Conclusions:
We found a wide distribution of APTT in NVAF patients under dabigatran treatment. High APTT might help screen for bleeding risks among patients under dabigatran, but requires future investigation.
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