Low Risk of Complications in AF Patients on Well-Managed Warfarin

US Pharm. 2016;41(5):6.

Umea, Sweden—In a study published by JAMA Cardiology, Umea University researchers discovered that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) on well-managed warfarin therapy are at low risk for complications such as intracranial bleeding and all-cause mortality. Registry data on nearly 40,500 patients who started warfarin therapy for nonvalvular AF and were monitored until treatment cessation, death, or end of study were used for analysis. The annual incidence of intracranial bleeding was 0.44%, and that for all-cause mortality was 2.19%; patients also taking aspirin had annual rates of 3.07% for major bleeding and 4.9% for thromboembolism. “Well-managed warfarin treatment is a valid alternative in patients with AF who require anticoagulant treatments, with relatively low complication rates and low all-cause mortality,” noted researchers.