BrainWaves #11 Which NOAC is best for secondary stroke prevention?

MedLink Neurology Podcast is delighted to feature selected episodes from BrainWaves, courtesy of James E Siegler MD, its originator and host. BrainWaves is an academic audio podcast whose mission is to educate medical providers through clinical cases and topical reviews in neurology, medicine, and the humanities, and episodes originally aired from 2016 to 2021.

Originally released: July 18, 2017

Long-term antithrombotic treatment of embolic stroke sounds like a tricky field to navigate. Aspirin is the drug of choice in the acute setting for most patients, but when cardioembolic stroke is suspected, aspirin is inferior to anticoagulation for preventing recurrent stroke. In the age of novel oral anticoagulants, why choose warfarin and risk drug interactions, dietary restrictions, and bleeding risk? In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of each of the major NOACs for secondary stroke prevention. Enjoy!

BrainWaves podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used to guide medical decision-making in routine clinical practice. Any cases discussed in this episode are fictional and do not contain any patient health-identifying information.

REFERENCES

Connolly SJ, Ezekowitz MD, Yusuf S, et al. Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2009;361(12):1139-51. Erratum in: N Engl J Med 2010;363(19):1877. PMID 19717844

Giugliano RP, Ruff CT, Braunwald E, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2013;369(22):2093-104. PMID 24251359

Granger CB, Alexander JH, McMurray JJ, et al. Apixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2011;365(11):981-92. PMID 21870978

Patel MR, Mahaffey KW, Garg J, et al. Rivaroxaban versus warfarin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2011;365(10):883-91. PMID 21830957

We believe that the principles expressed or implied in the podcast remain valid, but certain details may be superseded by evolving knowledge since the episode’s original release date.