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Randomized trials have shown that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) generally benefit from long-term warfarin therapy to prevent stroke. However, bleeding complications may outweigh the benefits of warfarin in subgroups with lower stroke risk. In this systematic review of seven studies, researchers identified independent risk factors for stroke in patients with nonvalvular AF.
The strongest independent risk factors for stroke were prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), older age, hypertension, and diabetes. Annual stroke rates for non-anticoagulated patients with single independent risk factors were 6% to 9% for previous stroke or TIA, 1.5% to 3% for age older than 75, 1.5% to 3.0% for hypertension, and 2.0% to 3.5% for diabet…