CONTEXT: Report of a retrospective analysis of direct oral anticoagulants showing they are safer and more effective than warfarin.
IMPACT: Low
READ TIME: 2 mins
Quality Level Mean [1 – 10]: 7
1. “Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) appeared safer and more effective than warfarin for people with valvular atrial fibrillation (Afib) in a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis.”
2. “Patients newly prescribed DOACs from 2010 to 2019 had rates of combined ischemic stroke or systemic embolism reach 3.9 per 100 person-years, a significant reduction from the 6.0 events per 100 person-years observed with peers newly prescribed warfarin (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.70).”
3. “”We found a gradual shift in prescribing from warfarin to DOACs throughout the study period, consistent with prior research suggesting that DOACs are commonly prescribed for valvular Afib.”
4. “Evidence for the effectiveness and safety of DOACs in valvular Afib remains limited, however, and few DOAC trials have included these patients, the authors noted.”
5. “The present study included valvular Afib patients who were new users of DOACs (off-label) or warfarin.”
Source URL: https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/arrhythmias/91855