Comparative differences in the risk of major gastrointestinal bleeding among different direct oral anticoagulants: An updated traditional and Bayesian network meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: The most favorable gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding safety profile among different types of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains controversial. This meta-analysis includes the latest studies and aims to compare GI bleeding risk associated with the use of various DOACs. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane library, and clinicaltrial.gov were searched. Randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating the safety of DOACs were identified. The primary endpoint assessed was major GI bleeding. Results: A total of 37 RCTs were included in the analyses. Based on the traditional meta-analysis, the major GI bleeding risk was different among various DOACs (interactive p-value