Assessment of Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) in Obese Patients at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center

As obesity rates continue to increase and the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is becoming more common in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism and prevention of venous thromboembolism, additional concerns with DOAC use in the obese population are arising. Due to limited studies and the data available in this patient population, there is uncertainty of the risks and benefits with the use of DOACs. The purpose of this medication utilization evaluation is to assess DOAC use in obese veterans at the Cheyenne VAMC and to determine the number of cardiovascular, thromboembolic and/or bleeding events in such a population.