Evaluation of secondary prevention of thrombosis in patients from sector III of Zaragoza

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) presents a significant clinical challenge, but there is currently a lack of evidence in clinical practice in Spain. Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and biological characteristics of patients treated with DOACs for secondary prevention of VTE. Material and methods: Descriptive, observational, single-centre, longitudinal and retrospective study of a cohort of 118 patients diagnosed with VTE in sector III of Zaragoza, who were prescribed anticoagulant treatment with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACS) for secondary prevention, from February 2012 to July 2024. Results: This study evaluated 118 patients, with 70 receiving rivaroxaban and 48 receiving apixaban. The mean age of the patients was 60.2 years, with significant differences between the treatment groups (rivaroxaban: 59.4 years; apixaban: 65.7 years; p = 0.0013). Additionally, 26.3% of patients had risk factors that justified the decision of suggesting anticoagulant treatment. Observed complications included 0.8% of thrombotic events and 9.3% of bleeding events, with no significant differences between groups. This analysis suggests that age and associated risk factors are determinants in the secondary prevention of VTE. Conclusions: DOACS administered at secondary prevention doses in selected patients represent an effective and safe alternative for patients at high risk of rethrombosis.