Anticoagulant therapy in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter: the position of rivaroxaban

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Abstract

Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF and Aflu) are one of the most common diseases in the world, and its incidence increases with age. For example, in Russia, according to the EPOCHA study, the prevalence of AF is 2.04%, and reaches a maximum in the age group from 80 to 89 years – 9.6%. Treatment of AF in elderly patients is one of the difficult tasks for a clinician. This is attributable not only to the high risk of bleeding on the one hand, and thromboembolic complications on the other, but also to the characteristics of this population, such as the presence of senile asthenia (SA), cognitive impairment, risk of falls and other geriatric syndromes and age-associated diseases. Given these aspects, when prescribing anticoagulant therapy, preference should be given to the most effective and safe anticoagulant that has been studied in elderly patients. This article reviews the evidence base for the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban in elderly patients with AF.

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About the authors

Vadim D. Zakiev

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (Pirogov University) – Russian Gerontological Research and Clinical Center

Author for correspondence.
Email: zakiev739@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4027-3727

Cardiologist, Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy

Russian Federation, Moscow

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