[Anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation on dialysis: between the risk of hemorrhage and vascular calcification]

Abstract

Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) in patients with atrial fibrillation during dialitic treatment or suffering from severe chronic renal failure is not easy to mange. OAT interferes with the mechanisms of protection and prevention of vascular calcification and increases the risk of bleeding and of the development of vascular calcifications typical of these patients. The aim of this report is to highlight the complexity of the management and therapy in uremic patients, discussing the importance of OAT in order to prevent thrombo-embolic complications during atrial fibrillation episodes.