Effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation patients switched from vitamin K antagonists: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: A substantial proportion of atrial fibrillation patients initiating direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are vitamin K antagonists (VKA)-experienced, for example switchers from VKA to DOAC. With this study, we aimed to summarize available evidence on the effectiveness and safety of DOAC vs VKA in real-life VKA-experienced atrial fibrillation patients. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library systematically for English-language studies indexed any time before October 2018. We included studies of VKA-experienced atrial fibrillation patients initiating DOAC therapy, with continued VKA therapy as comparator. Outcomes included arterial thromboembolism and bleeding. When appropriate, meta-analysis was performed by calculating pooled, weighted and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confid

SUBMITTER: Hellfritzsch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6973083 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature