Novel Oral Anticoagulants for Atrial Fibrillation

Three novel oral anticoagulants (NOACS)—dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban, and apixaban—have been approved in many countries for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, because they are associated with the same or lower rates of stroke, bleeding (particularly intracranially) and death compared with warfarin; and unlike warfarin, they can be given in fixed doses without routine coagulation monitoring. The effects of NOACs compared with …