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Heart Failure as a Risk Factor for Stroke
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Heart failure (HF) increases stroke risk. New anticoagulants offer safer stroke prevention for HF patients, targeting HF as an unconventional risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a leading global cause of mortality.
- A significant stroke incidence in HF patients has raised questions about HF as an independent stroke risk factor.
- Emerging evidence confirms HF as a direct contributor to stroke risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the intricate relationship between stroke and heart failure (HF).
- To highlight HF as an unconventional yet significant risk factor for stroke.
- To explore HF as a potential target for novel stroke prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating the link between HF and stroke.
- Analysis of stroke risk in HF patients.
- Evaluation of anticoagulation therapies for stroke prevention in HF.
Main Results:
- HF is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor for stroke.
- Traditional anticoagulants like warfarin present bleeding risks that can outweigh benefits in HF patients.
- Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) show promise for effective stroke prevention with lower bleeding risks.
Conclusions:
- Heart failure is a critical, unconventional risk factor for stroke.
- Selective anticoagulation with NOACs in HF patients may significantly improve stroke prevention.
- Targeting HF offers a promising new avenue for reducing stroke incidence.
Abstract:
Heart failure (HF) is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Despite the high incidence of stroke in patients with HF, there has been a controversy as to whether HF itself is a risk factor for stroke. Recently, there is a great deal of evidence that HF itself increases the risk of stroke. In previous studies, the benefit of warfarin for stroke prevention in patients with HF was offset by the risk of bleeding. In the era of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants with low bleeding profiles, we can expect a more effective stroke prevention in patients with HF by selective anticoagulation. The purpose of this review is to describe the relationship between stroke and HF, which could be an unconventional risk factor and a potential intervention target for stroke prevention.
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