Clinical drug investigation
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The results of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) can mostly be applied to primary prevention in relatively young patients, since only a minority of patients included in these trials were receiving DOACs for secondary prevention. The real-life secondary prevention subgroup, comprising mostly elderly and high-risk patients, remains a point of interest where further exploration is needed. Our objective was to explore the effectiveness and safety of DOACs for secondary prevention in the real-life conditions. ⋯ Our real-life data study suggests that secondary stroke prevention with DOACs is as effective and safe as primary prevention, both in standard and reduced doses, in a typical group of patients who are older than patients included in RCTs.