Stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation: focus on new oral anticoagulants.

Patients with atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk for stroke. Anticoagulation therapy has been shown to significantly reduce the risk for stroke in these patients. Warfarin therapy is effective at reducing the risk for thromboembolic events, but requires frequent monitoring of its anticoagulation effect using the international normalized ratio and significantly increases the risk for hemorrhagic events, including intracranial hemorrhage. Novel oral anticoagulants provide simpler, effective stroke prophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation. These drugs include dabigatran (a direct thrombin inhibitor) as well as rivaroxaban and apixaban (factor Xa inhibitors). The new anticoagulants have rapid onset of effect; their anticoagulatory effect is stable, predictable, and dose related; and they do not require monitoring of anticoagulation effect using the international normalized ratio. The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and potential adverse effects of these drugs in patients with atrial fibrillation are reviewed herein.