EC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Editorial Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients on Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants Versus Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants

Introduction Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) represents a group of medications: direct thrombin inhibitor (dabigatran) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban) are increasingly favorized over conventional oral anticoagulants (OAC), vitamin K oral anticoagulants such as warfarin. As requested by some authors the term “NOACs”, should be restricted to “non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants” while others suggest the term “direct oral anticoagulants” (DOACs) [1]. This tendency for grouping terminology should be adopted as the name implies similar pharmacological actions that inhibit a single target. At the present time, approved indications for NOACs prescription are: non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib), postoperative DVT/PE thromboprophylaxis (hip or knee replacement), treatment and prevention of recurrent DVT/PE, acute coronary syndrome and still not officially medically ill patients [1].