OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and security of anti-platelet and anticoagulant therapy on prevention of ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NAF).

METHODSWe searched PubMed, EMbase, CENTREN and its affiliated clinical trial registration data center, CBMdisc, VIP, and CNKI databases from establishment to Dec 2009 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) covering the use of anti-platelet agents and anticoagulants for patients with NAF. Meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.0 software after the strict evaluation of the methodological quality of the included RCTs.

RESULTSFourteen RCTs involving 15 880 patients were include. Compared with placebo or no use of anti-platelet drugs, antiplatelet therapy didn't reduce ischemic stroke (RR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.68 to 1.00, P = 0.05), systemic emboli (RR = 0.71, 95%CI 0.34 to 1.51, P = 0.38) and all-cause mortality (RR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.73 to 1.07, P = 0.21) while significantly increased the major bleeding (RR = 2.88, 95%CI 1.21 to 6.86, P = 0.02) in patients with NAF, intracranial hemorrhage was not affected by antiplatelet therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (RR = 3.25, 95%CI 0.84 to 12.62, P = 0.09). Compared with anti-platelet therapy, anticoagulant therapy significantly reduced the incidence of ischemic stroke (RR = 1.84, 95%CI 1.48 to 2.28, P < 0.01) and systemic emboli (RR = 1.94, 95%CI 1.24 to 3.03, P = 0.004) but significantly increased the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage (RR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.78, P = 0.003), did not affect all-cause mortality (RR = 1.06, 95%CI 0.90 to 1.23, P = 0.50) and the incidence of major bleeding (RR = 0.95, 95%CI 0.76 to 1.19, P = 0.66) in NAF patients.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with the placebo and no use of anti-platelet drugs, anti-platelet therapy didn't reduce ischemic stroke and systemic emboli but increased the risk of major bleeding in NAF patients. Compared with anti-platelet therapy, anticoagulant therapy significantly reduced the ischemic stroke and systemic emboli without increasing the risk of major bleeding, but significantly increased the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in NAF patients. Since the study included RCTs with limited and less uniform outcome endpoints, the conclusions should be verified with RCTs with more uniform endpoints and longer follow-up time.