Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) and the risk of myocardial infarction: Differences between factor IIa and factor Xa inhibition?

Publication date: Available online 12 October 2018Source: Pharmacology & TherapeuticsAuthor(s): Amin Polzin, Lisa Dannenberg, Georg Wolff, Carolin Helten, Alina Achillles, Thomas Hohlfeld, Tobias Zeus, Malte Kelm, Steffen Massberg, Tobias PetzoldAbstractGuidelines already recommend non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) over vitamin-K antagonists (VKA) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, recommendations are lacking with respect to which NOAC to use. At the moment, NOACs may employ two different molecular mechanisms: Factor IIa inhibition (dabigatran) and factor Xa inhibition (apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban). The focus of this review is to compare and contrast potential differences between factor IIa- and factor Xa inhibition with respect to risk of myocardial infarction and to detail underlying mechanisms.
Source: Pharmacology and Therapeutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research