2018 KHRS Practical Guide on the Use of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Korean Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: How to Initiate and Organize the Follow-up

Abstract

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are alternatives to vitamin K antagonists to prevent stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and have emerged as the preferred choice. The use of NOACs is rapidly increasing in Korea after coverage by insurance since 2015. However, the rate of prescribing anticoagulants in Korean patients with AF remains low compared to other countries. Most of the NOAC anticoagulant prescriptions are issued at hospitals. As the prevalence rate of AF in Korea is expected to increase rapidly with the increase in the elderly population, the need to prescribe NOACs in primary care clinics will also increase. Therefore, The Korean Heart Rhythm Society organized the Korean Atrial Fibrillation Management Guideline Committee and analyzed all available studies based on the 2018 European Heart Rhythm Association Practical Guide on the use of NOACs for managing AF, as well as studies on Korean patients. The authors would like to introduce practical guidelines for NOAC prescriptions in Korean patients with AF. (Korean J Med 2019;94:17-39)