Antithrombotic treatment in atrial fibrillation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Patients with atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease (valvular atrial fibrillation) have a substantially greater risk of stroke and other thromboembolic events. Specifically, the presence of mitral valve stenosis has been shown to be a substantial risk for stroke and thromboembolism, with these events occurring in 9–20% of patients, up to 75% of whom have cerebral emboli.1,2 Indeed, patients with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm who develop atrial fibrillation have a 3–7 times increased risk of thromboembolism.2,3 Owing to the risk of stroke and thromboembolism, it has been considered unethical to conduct placebo-controlled trials of antithrombotic treatment in patients with mitral valve disease.