Stroke prevention ignored in atrial fibrillation
25th September 2014
People with atrial fibrillation are not being prescribed anticoagulant drugs that minimise their chances of stroke and subsequent debilitating disability or death, says a leading Melbourne cardiologist.
Dr Harry Gibbs, Medical Director of the Vascular Laboratory at the Alfred Hospital, says new results from the GARFIELD-AF global anticoagulant registry show around 40% of AF patients who have at least one other risk factor for stroke are not prescribed anticoagulants.
Anticoagulants have been shown to reduce risk of stroke in AF patients by 60%.
Dr Gibbs