Dr George Ntaois on 'Oral anticoagulation versus antiplatelet/placebo for stroke prevention in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm'

Dr George Ntaois on 'Oral anticoagulation versus antiplatelet/placebo for stroke prevention in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials'

Previous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of oral anticoagulation in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm reported reduced stroke risk and increased bleeding risk compared to antiplatelets or placebo. However, the effect estimates may be subject to imprecision, as all included trials were prematurely terminated, stroke was not the primary outcome and overall results were primarily driven by a single trial which accounted for >80% of all strokes. Current guidelines do not provide strong recommendations about the role of oral anticoagulants in heart failure patients with sinus rhythm.   

Carmen Lahiff-Jenkins, Managing Editor of the International Journal of Stroke and I spoke to George Ntaios the Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. 

Dr Ntaios and his team wanted to provide a more accurate estimate of the effect of oral anticoagulation on stroke risk in heart failure patients with sinus rhythm by systematic review and meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials including the recently published evidence.

Link to article here

Music by Kevin McLeod