New options in anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation.

The presence of atrial fibrillation significantly increases the risk and burden of thromboembolic stroke.1 Warfarin is the reference standard treatment for the primary prevention of embolic stroke during atrial fibrillation.2 However, the long-term use of warfarin has its limitations. Although guidelines suggest a target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.5 (range, 2.0 to 3.0) for this indication,2 only about 60% of patients have an INR within the recommended range at a given time in usual clinical practice. This is the reason that is most often given for the search for other oral antithrombotic agents that could be simpler to manage . . .