Kate Fletcher

TL;DR: These data support the use of anticoagulation therapy for people aged over 75 who have atrial fibrillation, unless there are contraindications or the patient decides that the benefits are not worth the inconvenience.

TL;DR: A simple clinical rule was developed: in a patient presenting with symptoms such as breathlessness in whom heart failure is suspected, refer directly to echocardiography if the patient has a history of myocardial infarction or basal crepitations or is a male with ankle oedema; otherwise, carry out a BNP test and refer for echOCardiography depending on the results of the test.

TL;DR: Low use of statins in older people highlights the need for a stronger evidence base and clearer guidelines for people aged over 75, and there were no consistent differences in prescribing trends by sex.

TL;DR: No evidence is found that anticoagulation confers clinically important protection over aspirin against cognitive decline as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination in atrial fibrillation in the first 33 months of treatment other than that provided by preventing clinical stroke.

TL;DR: Current risk stratification schemes in older people with atrial fibrillation have only limited ability to predict the risk of stroke, and there could be a pragmatic rationale for classifying all patients over 75 as “high risk” until better tools are available.