title: Anticoagulant treatment in stroke prevention.
abstract: This review aims to summarise the value of long-term oral anticoagulant treatment in stroke prevention. Oral anticoagulation is the treatment of first choice in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and vascular risk factors and in AF patients with recent cerebral ischemia. The treatment also substantially reduces the risk of stroke in patients after myocardial infarction. The optimal target intensity of anticoagulation in stroke prevention is an International Normalized Ratio (INR) between 2.0 and 3.0. The treatment has been found to be hazardous at INR intensities between 3.0 and 4.5 in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke of presumed arterial origin. The value of the treatment in lower intensity in such patients still has to be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Koudstaal
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants