Aspirin no longer recommended for AF

Updated NICE guidelines no longer recommend aspirin use alone, solely to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. It is estimated that up to 40% of patients diagnosed with AF have been prescribed aspirin. While some patients with AF may be taking aspirin for other comorbidities, many are likely to have been prescribed aspirin solely for stroke prevention. Multiple anticoagulant treatments are recommended by NICE, yet in 2013 only 36% of patients with known AF admitted to hospital with a stroke were taking an anticoagulant.  In the updated guideline non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) – apixaban, dabigatran and