Review: New oral anticoagulants reduced stroke and systemic embolism compared with warfarin in AF

The American College of Physicians: September 18,  2012, Vol 157, No. 6

Question: In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), are new oral anticoagulants effective and safe for preventing stroke and systemic embolism compared with warfarin?

Review scope: Included studies compared a new, non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant with warfarin in patients with AF, had > 1 year follow-up, and were published in peer-reviewed journals. Studies of ximelagatran were excluded. Primary efficacy outcome was a composite of stroke (including hemorrhagic stroke) and systemic embolism; secondary efficacy outcomes were ischemic and unidentified stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, all-cause mortality, vascular mortality, and myocardial infarction. Primary safety outcome was major bleeding; secondary safety outcomes were gastrointestinal bleeding and intracranial bleeding. Read more