Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Between 2004 and 2020

Prevention of thromboembolic complications is an important part in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). European and American guidelines recommend the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) over therapy with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in most AF patients. The number of patients treated with NOACs has increased significantly during the last few years. In the primary randomized controlled trials leading to their approval, compared to warfarin, NOACs were shown to be either noninferior or superior for stroke prevention in AF, with similar or reduced rates of bleeding, especially intracranial haemorrhage. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of oral anticoagulants using, espescially apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban, and the predictors of their prescription in a group of hospitalised patients with AF.