https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.123.030380
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.122.029865
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40256-024-00677-x
The DOACs are common now, comparatively safe, well-tolerated by most (not by all), and for some they are quite costly, essentially prohibitively so. They are considered to be about 15-20% more effective than coumadin, and don't need the monthly INR assessment. Depending on the patient's other problems/comorbidities, DOACs lower the risk of stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) to less than 2% from about 5-6%, if I recall what I read several months ago correctly. I have taken apixaban (Eliquis) since September of 2017 without any objectionable side-effects, and have cut myself and scraped myself countless times. The DOACs do not prevent clots, they retard their formation.