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August 5, 2015
New Oral Anticoagulants Fuel Increase in Patients Seeking
AF Treatment

Ann Arbor, MI—The availability of easier-to-use oral anticoagulants appears to have prompted more patients to seek treatment for atrial fibrillation, according to a new study.

The study, published recently in the American Journal of Medicine, notes that more than 2.83 million treatment visits involving anticoagulant use were charted in the last quarter of 2014 compared to 2.05 million at the beginning of 2009.

Researchers from the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center note that the increase is primarily driven by new direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). Use of the blood thinners, which are marketed as simple to use, tripled from 2013 to 2014.

“The data provides a promising outlook about atrial fibrillation which is known for being undertreated,” lead author Geoffrey Barnes, MD, MSc, said in a University of Michigan Health System press release. “When we don't treat atrial fibrillation, patients are at risk for stroke. By seeking treatment, patients set themselves up for better outcomes.”

Until the first in the new class of anticoagulants was approved in 2010, warfarin was the treatment of choice for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation patients. While effective, the older agent required frequent blood level monitoring and caused more food and drug interactions than the newer therapies.

For the study, researchers utilized the IMS Health National Disease and Therapeutic Index, which surveys approximately 4,800 physicians identified through a random audit of the American Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association and captures information on about 350,000 office visits each quarter.

Results indicate that warfarin therapy visits declined between 2009 and 2014, while direct oral anticoagulant treatment visits have risen more than one million per quarter since their introduction in 2010.

Last year, 57% of anticoagulant visits were related to warfarin use compared to 43% related to DOACs, according to the study.

“DOACs have been rapidly adopted, matching the use of warfarin, and are associated with increased use of oral anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation,” study authors write.

While dabigatran accounted for the majority of prescriptions for DOACs from 2010 to 2012, rivaroxaban now has become the most commonly prescribed oral anticoagulant during atrial fibrillation office visits, the study showed.




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