[Anticoagulation for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation].

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is the most common cardiac source of emboli in cardioembolic stroke which occupies from 1/4 to 1/3 of acute brain infarction in Japan. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have been used widely because they are easy to use, their effect in preventing ischemic stroke is higher than or as high as warfarin, their incidence of major hemorrhage is lower than or as low as warfarin, and their incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is much lower than warfarin. However, there seem several issues to address regarding NOAC treatment, such as reversal of anticoagulation, antidotes, monitoring of anticoagulation, rt-PA treatment for acute stroke patients treated with NOACs. In this review, current strategies and issues of anticoagulation for prevention of stroke in NVAF are discussed.