Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the elderly population and is an important cause of stroke. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) could be an alternative treatment option for elderly patients who cannot take anticoagulants. Anticoagulation therapy is highly effective for stroke prevention, but it is underutilised in the elderly. Although elderly patients are at increased bleeding risk, the benefit of anticoagulation exceeds the risk of haemorrhage.
Acetylsalicylic acid alone is inferior to oral anticoagulants (OAC) or DAPT in stroke risk reduction in the elderly. The American Stroke Association (ASA) and the American Heart Association (AHA) estimate that 15% of strokes result from untreated Atrial Fibrillation (Lancet Neurol. 2007;6:981-93) Antiplatelet agents and OAC reduce the risk of stroke in AF patients, with OAC being more effective than antiplatelets.…
