Direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation: can data from randomized clinical trials be safely transferred to the general population? No

Abstract

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) represent an innovative and relevant treatment for the prevention of cardiac embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Their introduction has been followed by an ample debate on their appropriate use, considering that they can offer an effective treatment for the many patients with AF, which are not taking any effective anticoagulant treatment, even though they have a substantial thromboembolic risk (1). On the other hand, DOAC are much less tested in everyday clinical practice and much more expensive than anti-vitamin k anticoagulants (AVKs). Starting from the quite favorable results of the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs)--showing that DOAC are at least non-inferior to AVK and that may be even better for some outcomes--this article discusses their transferability to the majority of AF patients. In summary, the body of evidence supports the efficacy and safety of DOAC in patients carrying demographic and clinical characteristics similar to subjects included in RCT, but their use in less well-characterized subpopulations requires particular caution, while waiting for more reliable data from the real world.