Contemporary Management of Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Following the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines.

The recent publication of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation provides a timely update at a time when the rapid uptake of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants has changed the landscape of clinical practice. Several key changes have been highlighted, including better identification of those deemed to be low risk for thromboembolic complications and a more standardised approach to patients with atrial fibrillation who require concomitant antiplatelet therapy following either percutaneous coronary intervention or an acute coronary syndrome. This article distils the key messages from the ESC guidelines and draws the reader's attention to both gaps and advances in our knowledge.