title: Antithrombotic options for atrial fibrillation in 2012.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in clinical practice. An important component of the management of patients with AF involves prevention of thromboembolism and stroke. Coumarins, such as warfarin had been the only available oral antithrombotic agent for prevention of thromboembolism for many decades. Following intestinal absorption, coumarins inhibit multiple steps of the clotting cascade that leads to inhibition of coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X. In addition to delayed and variable inhibition of coagulation, coumarin therapy has a narrow therapeutic window for optimal balance of risk and benefit, which requires regular assessment of the international normalized ratio (INR) to monitor coagulation. A quest for safer, more effective therapies that do not need monitoring has led to the development of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban. In this article, we review these newer antithrombotic agents and discuss role of these drugs in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rude
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Quevedo
authors.forename: Lissette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez de Armas
authors.forename: Debabrata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents