More recently, other anticoagulants are being used in place of warfarin for patients who have had a stroke or TIA and in whom atrial fibrillation has been identified. These are referred to as Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs):
- DOACS do not need to be monitored in the same way as warfarin and have fewer drug interactions compared to warfarin.
- DOACs work either by inhibiting factor Xa (these include drugs such as Apixaban, Edoxaban and Rivaroxaban) or by inhibiting Thrombin (these include drugs such as Dabigatran and Agatroban).
- Clinically relevant bleeding may be lower with some of the DOACs compared to warfarin.
- Specific drugs are required to reverse DOACs so it can sometimes be more difficult to reverse them if it is required urgently.
Page last reviewed: 21 Jul 2023
