Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that increases the risk of stroke and systemic embolism. Warfarin is a highly effective treatment in reducing this risk, but a narrow therapeutic range, drug and food interactions, required monitoring, and bleeding limit its use. We review Apixaban, an oral inhibitor of Factor Xa, which has been shown in large randomized trials to have superior efficacy in stroke reduction without an excess in bleeding events when compared with aspirin in those deemed unsuitable to receive warfarin, and demonstrates superior efficacy in reducing stroke and systemic embolism in addition to a reduction in bleeding events when compared to warfarin.