In a caller survey led by University College London (UCL) researchers, a large-scale examination of nonstop oral anticoagulants (blood thinners) commonly recommended for irregular heartbeats has revealed the medicine with the lowest hazard of bleeding.
According to the survey published successful the diary Annals of Internal Medicine, apixaban, 1 of the 2 astir fashionable nonstop oral anticoagulants (DOACs), has the lowest hazard of gastrointestinal bleeding and performs likewise to different DOACs successful presumption of preventing strokes and different broadside effects.
Over 33 cardinal individuals worldwide endure from atrial fibrillation, which causes dilatory oregon irregular heartbeats; DOACs are utilized to forestall strokes successful these patients. Compared to warfarin, the erstwhile modular of treatment, they are present much wide utilized due to the fact that they necessitate little follow-up monitoring (which was particularly adjuvant during the Covid-19 outbreak) and person a little hazard of broadside effects.
The caller survey evaluated the efficacy and hazard of adverse effects of the 4 astir commonly utilized DOACs. They examined information from astir 500,000 caller DOAC users successful the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States, including 281,320 apixaban users, 61,008 dabigatran users, 12,722 edoxaban users, and 172,176 rivaroxaban users.
They recovered that each 4 drugs were comparable successful outcomes for ischemic stroke, encephalon bleeds, and all-cause mortality. At the aforesaid time, they did place a quality successful the hazard of gastrointestinal bleeding, which is 1 of the astir communal and concerning broadside effects of DOACs.
The survey revealed that apixaban stood retired arsenic having a little hazard of gastrointestinal bleeding, with 19-28% little risks erstwhile compared straight to each of the different 3 DOACs.
The researchers recovered that their findings held existent erstwhile looking astatine information lone from those aged implicit 80, and those with chronic kidney disease, 2 groups that are often underrepresented successful objective trials.
Co-lead writer Dr. Wallis Lau (UCL School of Pharmacy) said: “Direct oral anticoagulants person been prescribed with expanding frequence worldwide successful caller years, but grounds comparing them straight has been limited. Our results bespeak that apixaban whitethorn beryllium preferable to different humor thinners due to the fact that of the little complaint of gastrointestinal bleeding and akin rates of stroke, a uncovering that we anticipation volition beryllium supported by randomized controlled trials.”
She concludes, “As with each medications, imaginable risks and benefits tin disagree betwixt people, truthful considering the afloat spectrum of outcomes and broadside effects volition inactive beryllium indispensable for each idiosyncratic patient.”
Reference: “Comparative Effectiveness and Safety Between Apixaban, Dabigatran, Edoxaban, and Rivaroxaban Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation” by Wallis C.Y. Lau, Ph.D., Carmen Olga Torre, MSc, Kenneth K.C. Man, Ph.D., Henry Morgan Stewart, Ph.D., Sarah Seager, BA, Mui Van Zandt, BSc, Christian Reich, MD, Jing Li, MS, Jack Brewster, Ph.D., Gregory Y.H. Lip, MD, Aroon D. Hingorani, Ph.D., Li Wei, Ph.D. and Ian C.K. Wong, Ph.D., November 2022, Annals of Internal Medicine.
DOI: 10.7326/M22-0511