A practical guide for primary care.
If we wanted to make things simple, all patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) would receive an oral anticoagulant to reduce their risk of stroke and other comorbidities. But historically this has been difficult because anticoagulants can cause bleeding. Decisions about oral anticoagulation in patients with AF are therefore complex, but novel oral anticoagulants offer the promise of more effective stroke prevention, as well as easier prescribing and more straightforward management.
