Anticoagulation in Lower Risk Atrial Fibrillation: A two Edged Sword

Dear Editor, Inside the previous issue of Research in Cardiovascu- lar Medicine, Arya et-al presented a nice review of novel anticoagulation strategies in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (1). Through this recent review and the upcoming guidelines from various medical societies, it is plausible that the decades-long reign of coumadin in primary and secondary prevention of systemic thrombo- embolism in atrial fibrillation (AF) will soon come to an end. However, what is less clear out of these recent devel- opments might be this question: How should I treat my AF patient with a lower risk of embolic events?