The most frequent cardiac arrhythmia and main cause for cardio-embolic stroke is atrial fibrillation. Prophylaxis for thrombembolic events is performed regarding individual risk of patients with either ASS or vitamin-K-antagonists. Efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulation is limited by a narrow therapeutical range as well as by inter- and intraindividual variability of INR-values due to genetic disposition, differences in alimentation, dosage errors, rare control of INR-levels and drug-interactions. New oral anticoagulants with different mechanisms of action may be a promising therapeutic option in future. This review addresses the new anticoagulants Apixaban, Rivaroxban and Dabigatranetexilat with the design and as available the results of the corresponding phase-III-trials in atrial fibrillation (ARISTOTLE, ROCKET-AF, RE-LY).
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.