Vitamin K antagonists: relative strengths and weaknesses vs. direct oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.

ABSTRACT: Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been the mainstay of anticoagulation therapy for more than 50 years. VKAs are mainly used for the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and the treatment and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism. In the past 5 years, four new agents-the direct factor Xa inhibitors apixaban, edoxaban and rivaroxaban and the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran [collectively known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or non-VKA oral anticoagulants]-have been approved for these and other indications. Despite these new treatment options, the VKA warfarin currently remains the most frequently prescribed oral anticoagulant. The availability of DOACs provides an alternative management option for patients with AF, especially when the treating ph

SUBMITTER: Zirlik A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5337242 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature