AF patients on NOACs have higher stroke rate, study finds
Phasing out warfarin use among patients with arrhythmia may be contraindicated
19th October 2018
By Megan Howe
Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) may be at a higher risk of ischaemic stroke than those on warfarin, a large study suggests.
Although at odds with previous research, the results suggest a need for more intensive monitoring of levels of anticoagulation among patients taking NOACS, the authors said.
The retrospective US study compared relative stroke incidence among 71,300 patients with AF on a NOAC and 59,500 patients with AF on warfarin. Their records were held by a national hospital network database.