Purpose:
In recent years, four nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were approved to prevent stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE). Edoxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, is the latest NOAC to be approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The other NOACs include two direct factor Xa inhibitors, apixaban and rivaroxaban, and one direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran. The purpose of this article is to introduce these agents to providers, discuss dosing, and offer insights into practical considerations for each NOAC.
Data sources:
PubMed was searched to identify randomized controlled trials and cost-effectiveness analyses evaluating NOACs. In addition, package inserts for the four NOACs provided pharmacologic data.
Conclusions:
All four NOACs are equivalent to or better than warfarin for the treatment of VTE and stroke prevention in AF, and may reduce the risk of bleeding complications, particularly intracranial bleeding.
Implications for practice:
NOACs may benefit some patients by avoiding the numerous food or drug interactions and frequent laboratory monitoring associated with warfarin. Adherence to proper dosing is critical for NOAC efficacy and safety.
