Introduction
Three important lines of evidence have informed the debate on optimal anticoagulation for people at risk of stroke:
Meta-analyses have generally supported the findings from the ENGAGE-AF TIMI-481 and Hokusai-VTE2 trials, in terms of comparable efficacy and reduced bleeding risk with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) versus warfarin in patients at risk of stroke, or with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), respectively.3-8
The randomised Birmingham Atrial Fibrillation Treatment of the Aged Study (BAFTA) trial confirmed the superiority of anticoagulation versus aspirin in elderly patients with atrial fibrillati