Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Transesophageal Atrial Burst Pacing for Atrial Fibrillation Induction in Rats
05:12

Transesophageal Atrial Burst Pacing for Atrial Fibrillation Induction in Rats

Published on: February 14, 2022

3.7K

Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: The Role of Oral Anticoagulation

Viwe Mtwesi1, Guy Amit1

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton General Hospital, 237 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario L8L 2X2, Canada.

The Medical Clinics of North America
|August 6, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Oral anticoagulation is key for preventing stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Novel agents offer efficacy and safety, becoming preferred over warfarin for most AF cases, excluding artificial mechanical valves.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly increases stroke risk.
  • Oral anticoagulation is a primary stroke prevention strategy in AF.
  • Warfarin is standard for AF with mechanical valves, but newer agents are emerging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current evidence on stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
  • To discuss the role of novel anticoagulants in AF management.
  • To cover specific AF populations and scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical trials and guidelines.
  • Analysis of efficacy and safety data for anticoagulants.
  • Synthesis of evidence for various AF patient subgroups.

Main Results:

  • Oral anticoagulants substantially reduce stroke risk in AF.
  • Novel anticoagulants demonstrate comparable or superior efficacy and safety to warfarin in non-valvular AF.
  • Evidence supports anticoagulation in valvular AF, subclinical AF, renal insufficiency, and peri-cardioversion.

Conclusions:

  • Novel anticoagulants are increasingly the preferred choice for stroke prevention in most AF patients.
  • Warfarin remains essential for AF patients with artificial mechanical valves.
  • Comprehensive stroke risk assessment guides anticoagulation decisions in AF.

Keywords:
AnticoagulationAtrial fibrillationNOACStroke preventionWarfarin

More Related Videos

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation11:21

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: May 29, 2015

20.1K
Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation08:56

Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: September 24, 2021

3.1K

Related Concept Videos

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants01:18

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
2.2K
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
11.7K
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

6.3K
Fibril-associated Collagen01:11

Fibril-associated Collagen

Fibril-associated collagens are a type of collagens present in the extracellular matrix with interrupted triple helices or FACIT (Fibril-associated collagens interrupted triple-helices). FACIT help connect and attach the collagen fibrils with each other as well as with other proteins of the extracellular matrix.
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
3.2K
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
1.7K
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
7.7K