Direct Oral Anticoagulants Confer Fewer Osteoporotic Fractures in Seniors vs. Warfarin

A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found oral anticoagulants carried a much lower risk for osteoporotic fractures in seniors with atrial fibrillation compared to vitamin K antagonists like warfarin, reports Healio . Moreover, older adults taking direct oral anticoagulants were at a lower risk for the combined endpoint of any fracture or initiation of osteoporosis drug. "Direct oral anticoagulant treatment should not categorically be the choice of drug in all cases, but clinicians need to assess every person according to comorbidities when choosing oral anticoagulant treatment, and in doing so our findings should be taken into account," recommended Casper Binding with Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte. The researchers also found the standardized absolute two-year risk for any fracture was low among seniors who received direct oral anticoagulants as well as vitamin K antagonists. "This study . . . creates awareness of the subject, and since fractures among seniors are associated with increased mortality and reduced life quality, it's important to highlight these findings and to make clinicians aware of the potential connection," Binding said.