FAQ: Medication vs. Procedure for High-Risk Atrial Fibrillation Patients
TL;DR
Standard medical care provides better stroke prevention outcomes than the LAA closure procedure for high-risk AFib patients, offering a proven advantage in clinical practice.
The CLOSURE-AF study compared catheter-based left atrial appendage closure with standard medical therapy in 900 high-risk AFib patients over three years.
This research helps ensure older AFib patients receive the most effective stroke prevention, potentially saving lives and reducing suffering from cardiovascular complications.
A German study found that sealing off the heart's left atrial appendage was less effective than blood thinners for preventing strokes in high-risk patients.
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The study found that standard medical care, including blood thinners when eligible, was better than a catheter-based left atrial appendage closure procedure for preventing stroke, blood clots, cardiovascular death, or major bleeding in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients.
This research is most relevant to older people with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk of both stroke and bleeding complications.
The procedure is called left atrial appendage closure, which seals off a small pouch in the heart where blood clots commonly form in people with atrial fibrillation.
While blood thinners effectively reduce stroke risk, they can cause severe bleeding in some people, prompting research into alternative treatments like the left atrial appendage closure procedure.
The research was presented as a preliminary late-breaking science presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans from November 7-10, 2025.
The study aimed to demonstrate that catheter-based left atrial appendage closure was not inferior to standard medical care for preventing stroke, systemic embolism, cardiovascular death, or major bleeding, but this goal was not achieved.
An estimated five million people in the U.S. live with atrial fibrillation, and it's predicted that more than 12 million people will have it by 2030.
This research is currently a preliminary abstract presented at a scientific meeting and has not yet been peer-reviewed; the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
If successful, the procedure reduces stroke risk by sealing the area where blood clots form and may allow patients to stop taking blood thinners for clot prevention.
Curated from NewMediaWire
