Today, at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, it was reported that even though 80% of atrial fibrillation patients who should be on anticoagulants (according to their CHA2DS2-VASc score) are on anticoagulants, death rates at one year are still high.
Most of those deaths are due to cardiovascular causes. The risk factors predicting stroke or death were age, heart failure, previous mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack, or TIA), kidney disease, or previous bleeds.
Interestingly, taking statin drugs reduced the risk of death by about one-third whereas taking diuretics [presumably for high blood pressure] increased the risk of death by 70%.
For more info, see: AF mortality and morbidity high at 1 year despite good anticoagulant use
Note: These findings were presented by Professor Gregory Lip, a member of the StopAfib.org Global Medical Advisory Board.
Why is no one investigating or looking at delimited anticoagulation for those of us who for psychological reasons cannot and/or will not take anticoagulants?
Sherrill, please visit our news story on our site about the REACT-AF Study here: https://www.stopafib.org/afib-news-events/news/now-recruiting-react-af-study-of-pill-in-the-pocket-anticoagulants-blood-thinners/