New oral anticoagulants vs vitamin K antagonists: benefits for health-related quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation.

New oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have demonstrated their efficacy as an alternative to vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in the prophylaxis of cardioembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, evidence on the benefits of NOAC in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is lacking.We evaluated changes in HRQoL related to oral anticoagulation therapy employing a specific questionnaire in a cohort of 416 patients with AF undergoing electrical cardioversion. In terms of HRQoL, we observed a progressive adaptation to treatment with VKA; satisfaction with NOAC remained constant. Older age, higher left ventricular ejection fraction and NOAC were associated with better HRQoL.