RESUMEN
Aged patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at high risk of both thromboembolic and haemorrhagic complications of disease and of its treatment. A study was provided to assess the role of D-dimer plasma level as a marker of thrombosis in aged patients with AF having no clinical signs of active thrombosis depending on used treatment strategy and quantitative thrombotic and haemorrhagic risk of AF. The results show that D-dimer plasma levels correlate with scores of thromboembolic and haemorrhagic risks in group on antiplatelet agents but not anticoagulants, with the difference in D-dimer level driven by subgroup on CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥5. High D-dimer level was associated with in-hospital mortality and rhythm of AF at the moment of blood sample collection. Therefore, an accuracy of risk prognosis of fatal complications of AF for elderly patients may be increased by using the laboratory markers of thrombus formation such as D-dimer and by using the obtained results to guide an antithrombotic therapy.