OpinionOpen Access

How to Approach the Patient with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Cha2ds2-Vasc Score of 1

Volume 2 - Issue 2

Tiago Luiz Luz Leiria*

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- Fellow-ship in Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur Montréal, Canada
*Corresponding author: Tiago Luiz Luz Leiria, Fellow-ship in Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur Montréal, Canada

Received: January 24, 2018; Published: February 06, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.02.000734

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Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a public health problem. It is estimated that one in four individuals will be affected by this arrhythmia throughout their lives. AF increases the risk of stroke five times, and this event is mainly responsible for the morbidity and mortality of this arrhythmia [1]. Oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (AVK), such as warfarin and phenprocoumon, have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolic events. More recently, the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have also proved effective for this same goal. In this paper we will review the most recent evidence on the real benefit of using oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation associated with an additional risk factor for stroke.

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