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Updated: Dec 8, 2025

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Published on: February 26, 2013
[Anticoagulation in vulnerable elderly patients with atrial fibrillation : risks and benefits]
1Service de gériatrie du Valais romand, Hôpital du Valais, 1920 Martigny.
Abstract:
Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac disease of aging. The risk of stroke and bad prognosis increase with age and atrial fibrillation. Compared with younger people, elderly people have higher risks for both thrombosis and bleeding. Stroke prevention with oral anticoagulants is the cornerstone of the management of atrial fibrillation but is often questioned because of the risk of bleeding, furthermore comorbidities, comedications, fall risks, poor compliance. These factors frequently found in frail elderly patients complicate the management of antithrombotic therapy. This article reviews the evidence for the risks and benefits of anticoagulation in the elderly with atrial fibrillation, by comparing the new oral anticoagulants to vitamin K antagonists.
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