A study by the RIETE Group notes that at least 15% of patients with anticoagulated VTE do not receive adequate doses

A study carried out by the investigators of the RIETE group shows that treatment with new oral anticoagulants is not being administered in the adequate dose, and neither with the adequate patterns in one out of eight patients with venous thromboembolic disease (VTE).

Based on the data of the RIETE registry, scientists have compared for the first time posology of the anticoagulant therapy with the newest drugs (rivaroxaban, dabigatran and apixaban) according to the guidelines recommended by drugs manufacturers with patients who followed the treatment under no recommended guidelines.

In May 2016, 1.635 patients with VTE received some of the new oral anticoagulants as first treatment of their disease, and 1.725 as a long-term treatment.

Among the first ones, 18% took rivaroxaban and 50% apixaban in the wrong doses, generally lower to the recommended doses. On the other hand, among the patients with continuous treatment, results showed that 14% of the patients with rivaroxaban, 36% of the patients who took apixaban, and 46% of those who were treated with dabigatran did not receive the therapy at the recommended dose.

As well, they saw that most of these patients had a higher risk of bleeding. Hence, probably the reason of prescribing lower doses was intended to reduce derived bleedings.

When comparing these data with patients that did follow the correct treatment, investigators realized that wrong drug treatment originated more recurrences, with the same bleedings and the same deaths. They also calculated that, at least 15% of the anticoagulated patients with VTE do not receive the adequate dose of treatment.