Skip to main content

Utilization of anticoagulation therapy in Medicare patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

30 June 2012

Clinical guidelines recommend oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at moderate or high risk for stroke but not at high risk for bleeding; however, studies consistently report suboptimal use of such therapy.

This study compares real-world warfarin utilization with current treatment guideline recommendations, and assesses the effect of warfarin exposure level on patient outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries with nonvalvular AF (NVAF).

A significant proportion of Medicare beneficiaries with AF are not receiving guideline-recommended anticoagulation therapy, which leads to an excess rate of ischemic stroke in this patient population. These findings highlight quality-of-care issues for patients with AF and the need to improve compliance with anticoagulation guidelines in the Medicare population.

This article was published in the May/June 2012 issue of American Health & Drug Benefits.

Read or print the article


We’re here to help