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The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) have very recently published guidelines for the evidence-based treat of AFib [8]These deal largely with the treatment of AFib, and therefore are devoted largely to the 2 treatment approaches of “rate control” versus “rhythm control.” However, the focus of this presentation is on preventing the primary consequence of AFib, embolic stroke, as indicated on the right of the Figure. For several decades the “gold standard” for preventing the outcome of embolic stroke in patients with AFib has been the oral anticoagulation agent warfarin. This agent has many well-known side effects and adherence challenges for patients, however, and therefore the recent approvals of several new oral anticoagulation agents has represented a significant advance for both clinicians and patients, and these new approaches to stroke prophylaxis in the setting of AFib will be discussed in the presentation on novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs).
Reiffel JA. Am J Med 2013; 126: 00-00.
[8] Wann LS, Curtis AB, January CT, et al; ACCF/AHA Task Force Members. 2011 ACCF/AHA/HRS focused update on the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (updating the 2006 guideline): a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2011;123:104-123.