Notes:
Recently, the Secondary and Tertiary Prevention of Stroke Patient Outcome Research Team (PORT) study findings reported that stroke in atrial fibrillation patients is as preventable as myocardial infarction—if patients are appropriately treated with anticoagulant therapy. However, it appears that about 75% of AF patients are not treated appropriately. Clinical data have demonstrated that warfarin can prevent 50% of the strokes caused by AF. The findings of this Duke University study indicate that warfarin therapy can prevent 40,000 strokes and save $600 million in healthcare costs annually. Although clinical trials have shown that warfarin prevents stroke in AF patients, the fear of major bleeding complications has inhibited some clinicians from using anticoagulant therapy in this setting. The analysis reported in the PORT study found that when properly administered, warfarin prevents 20 strokes for every major bleeding complication it causes.

Back

Contents

Next

Acknowledgments:
The content of this presentation was prepared by Dr. Gregory Albers of the Stanford Stroke Center.