Major bleeding risk with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant vs. aspirin in heart failure: network meta-analysis.

In network meta-analysis, apixaban might be associated with a comparable risk of major bleeding compared with aspirin in patients with HF, while other NOACs might be associated with a higher risk. However, such results were not strongly convincing because of lack of direct comparison in an original trial and small sample size of trials and participants. A clinical trial directly comparing apixaban vs. aspirin in patients with HF and sinus rhythm may be worth undertaking.