Arch Intern Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial Meta Analysis Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A clinical prediction rule to identify patients with atrial fibrillation and a low risk for stroke while taking aspirin.
We sought to derive and internally validate a simple and easily applied clinical prediction rule to identify patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) whose stroke risk while taking aspirin is, irrespective of age, low enough that oral anticoagulation therapy is unnecessary. ⋯ Irrespective of age, patients with AF and none of these 4 clinical features and who take aspirin have stroke rates comparable to those of age-matched community cohorts and would not benefit substantially from anticoagulation.