Ntaios and colleagues report an exceptional individual patient-level analysis from COMBINE-AF (n = 71,466), providing unusually precise estimates of outcome gradients between paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) under anticoagulation [1]. Their observation of lower stroke/systemic embolism and all-cause mortality in PAF, alongside a modestly higher risk of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding, is highly relevant for clinicians and likely to influence interpretation at the bedside.
