Don’t Delay Restarting Anticoagulation for Atrial Fib After a GI Bleed

Up to half of patients with atrial fib permanently discontinue anticoagulation after a GI bleed.

But these patients are more likely to die from a stroke than from another GI bleed. And evidence suggests that restarting anticoagulation is usually worth the extra bleeding risk.

Restart an anticoagulant in most patients with atrial fib...especially those at high stroke risk, such as a CHAD₂DS₂-VASc score of at least 2 in males or 3 in females.