Use of anticoagulation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: What guidelines recommend

• Autores: Cristóbal Gallego Muñoz, Francisco Javier Ferreira Alfaya, María Eugenia Rodríguez Mateo
• Localización: European journal of clinical pharmacy: atención farmacéutica, ISSN 2385-409X, Vol. 17, Nº. 6, 2015, pág. 11
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Introduction: Atrial fibrillation in the elderly is a complex condition. In recent years, various clinical practice guidelines have been published on patients with atrial fibrillation. The majority of these guidelines make specific recommendations on the clinical characteristics and treatment of elderly patients. In this update, we review the specific comments on the recommendations concerning antithrombotic treatment in elderly patients.

    Method: An exhaustive search of the published guidelines in referential data sources was performed, up to February 28, 2015. Then, we reviewed the specific comments on the recommendations concerning antithrombotic treatment in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

    Results: We included the principal European, American and Canadian clinical practice guidelines.

    Conclusions: All elderly patients with atrial fibrillation should (unless contraindicated) undergo permanent anticoagulant treatment, although it is important to assess the risk of bleeding. It is important that renal function should be monitored during follow-up, especially when the patient has known renal failure or is taking dabigatran