Thousands of lives could be saved each year if patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are prescribed new generation anticoagulants instead of aspirin for preventing stroke, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said.

Updated NICE guidance has stated that novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) should be the preferred treatment option over aspirin for stroke prevention in patients with AF. Around 800,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with AF, which causes the heart to beat irregularly and increases the risk of stroke fivefold.

According to NICE, only 45 per cent of eligible patients currently receive oral anticoagulants, despite the availability of NOACs, which do not require the same level of monitoring as warfarin. Furthermore, 40 per cent of AF patients have taken aspirin, even though new evidence has shown that it is less effective at preventing strokes than NOACs and no less likely to cause internal bleeding.

NICE has calculated that fully implementing this guidance could prevent 700 strokes and save 2,100 lives each year. However, a survey from the BMS-Pfizer Alliance has revealed that community pharmacists are not aware of the extent of these benefits. Only 15 per cent of community pharmacists said that patients with AF should have their treatment urgently reviewed, while just 43 per cent felt confident enough to explain the differences between NOACs, and over half had not heard about the new guidelines.

Helen Williams, consultant pharmacist for cardiovascular disease, Southwark CCG, said: “Pharmacists play a vital role in supporting patients with AF to take their medicines appropriately. Therefore, it is important we ensure we are up to speed on the relative risks and benefits of all the available treatment options.”