Pro: 'Warfarin should be the drug of choice for thromboprophylaxis in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation'

• References

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• 2 bNational Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions. Atrial fibrillation: the management of atrial fibrillation. NICE Clinical Guideline 36. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. London: 2006
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• 4 Hylek EM, D’Antonio J, Evans-Molina C. et al. Translating the results of randomised trials into clinical practice: the challenge of warfarin candidacy among hospitalised elderly patients with atrial fibrillation. Stroke 2006; 37: 1075-1080.
• 5 Mant J, Hobbs FDR, Fletcher K. et al. on behalf of the BAFTA Investigators Warfarin versus aspirin for stroke prevention in an elderly community population with atrial fibrillation (the Birmingham Atrial Fibrillation Treatment of the Aged Study, BAFTA ): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2007; 370: 493-503.
• 6 Van Walraven C, Hart RG, Singer DE. et al. Oral anticoagulants vs aspirin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: an individual patient meta-analysis. J Am Med Assoc 2002; 288: 2441-2448.
• 7 The ACTIVE Writing Group on behalf of the ACTIVE Investigators. Clopidogrel plus aspirin versus oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation in the Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for prevention of Vascular Events (ACTIVE W): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2006; 367: 1903-1912.
• 8 Mant J, Hobbs FDR, Fletcher K. et al. on behalf of the BAFTA Investigators and the Midlands Research Practices Network Warfarin versus aspirin for stroke prevention (BAFTA ). Lancet 2007; 370: 1606-1607.
• 9 Hylek EM, Evans-Molina C, Shea C. et al. Major haemorrhage and tolerability of warfarin in the first year of therapy among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation. Circulation 2007; 115: 2689-2696.
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• 12 Lip GY. Don't add aspirin for associated stable vascular disease in a patient with atrial fibrillation receiving anticoagulation. Br Med J 2008; 336: 614-615.