Anticoagulant therapy for chronic heart disease atrial failure and fibrillation: a review

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often accompany each other, as they share similar risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms. AF in patients with HF is known to increase hospitalizations and worsen prognosis. A combination of AF and HF translates into high risks of thromboembolic complications, which renders anticoagulants an important aspect of therapy for these patients. Vitamin K antagonists make achieving the target level of anticoagulation challenging due to drug interactions and comorbidities. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are preferred medications owing to a more favorable risk-benefit ratio in this group of patients. At the same time, patients with HF often require a personalized approach when choosing an anticoagulant due to increased risks of thromboembolic complications and bleeding, as well as multiple comorbidities. The article presents the results of sub-analyses of key studies on the efficacy and safety of DOACs vs vitamin K antagonists in patients with HF and AF. It also explores DOACs use in patients with chronic kidney disease.