Many Good Reasons to Switch from Vitamin K Antagonists to Non-Vitamin K Antagonists in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

ABSTRACT: Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are the first choice for prophylaxis of cardioembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) who are anticoagulant-naïve, as well as the preferable anticoagulation strategy in those who are on vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), but with a low time in therapeutic range (TTR). Nonetheless, there are many good reasons to consider switching from VKAs to NOACs also when TTR is >70%. From the pharmacological standpoint, anticoagulation with VKAs may remain erratic even in those patients who have high TTR values, owing to the mode of action of this drug class. Furthermore, experimental data suggest that, unlike VKAs, NOACs favorably modulate the effects of factor Xa and thrombin in the cardiovascular system through the protease-activated recep

SUBMITTER: Botto GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8268480 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature