To promote the use and monitoring of warfarin by analyzing this oral anticoagulation therapy and the occurrence of ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.

We studied 301 patients with atrial fibrillation who were hospitalized and had the information about sex, age, main diagnosis, combined disease, CHA2DS2-VASc score, HAS-BLED score, INR, the dose of warfarin, thromboembolism complications, and hemorrhagic events. We performed a study in order to understand the relationship between anticoagulation therapy and clinical outcome.

The average age of AF patients was 72±11 years. The major type is non-valvular atrial AF (93.7% vs 6.3%). Among all the cases, the proportion of patients who took warfarin for anticoagulation therapy was 58.8%, and the percentage of patients who took new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) was 4%. The incidence of ischemic stroke was significantly lower in patients with warfarin therapy (P=0.025). The percentages of patients with an INR of 2.0 to 3.0 were merely 15.8% and 7.1%, respectively, in valvular and non-valvular atrial AF patients during warfarin therapy.

To achieve optimal result of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation, the monitoring and education of warfarin therapy should be further strengthened.