Apixaban in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Conventional anticoagulant therapies can significantly reduce the risk of stroke and related complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Classic oral anticoagulants based on vitamin K antagonism have shown effectiveness in the prevention of thromboembolic complications in this clinical setting. Unfortunately, vitamin K antagonists that have shown effectiveness in the prevention of thromboembolic complications in patients with efficacy in the prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism in several clinical studies involving thousands of patients subjected to major orthopedic surgery. Results of two large phase III trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of apixaban compared with aspirin or warfarin, in the prevention of stroke in patients with AF. Apixaban demonstrated superiority over classic vitamin K antagonists on the previously specified outcomes of stroke, systemic embolism, major bleeding and death. For those patients unsuitable for treatment with vitamin K antagonists because of an excessive bleeding risk, apixaban showed more efficacy than aspirin in stroke prevention with a not statistically significant modest increase of major bleeding.