Real clinical practice data: comparison of the efficacy and safety of apixaban and rivaroxaban in the treatment of VTE

Venous thromboembolic complications (VTEC), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), are common pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Between 20% and 28% of patients experience recurrent VTE within 5 years of initial diagnosis. International clinical guidelines for the treatment of VTE prescribe oral anticoagulants to reduce the risk of recurrent VTE. Oral anticoagulants include direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). DOACs have advantages over warfarin such as minimal interaction with other drugs, lower bleeding rate, fixed dosage, no need for regular laboratory monitoring. In connection with the above, DOACs are becoming the drugs of choice for anticoagulant therapy. In the absence of direct comparisons, data from observational studies are of interest. We present you the results of a large retrospective study evaluating the efficacy and safety of apixaban versus rivaroxaban in patients with VTEC (Dawwas, G. K. et al., 2021).