Therefore, for patients with non- rheumatic AF, wherever we recommend (or suggest) VKA therapy, we also recommend (or suggest) the use of dabigatran, and in these situations, our rec- ommendations simply refer to oral anticoagulation.88 We address the speci c question of whether to use Table 8 [Section 2.1.6] Phase 3 RCTs of New Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With AF Trial Intervention Comparator Status SPORTIF III Ximelagatran Warfarin (INR, 2.0-3.0) Published82,83 SPORTIF V RE-LY Dabigatran (150 or 110 mg bid) Warfarin (INR, 2.0-3.0) Published84 AVERROES Apixaban (5 mg bid) Aspirin (81-324 mg daily) Published86 ROCKET-AF Rivaroxaban (20 mg once daily) Warfarin (INR, 2.0-3.0) Published85 ARISTOTLE Apixaban (5 mg bid) Warfarin (INR, 2.0-3.0) Published87 ENGAGE-AF TIMI 48 Edoxaban (high- and low-dose regimens) Warfarin (INR, 2.0-3.0) Currently recruiting ARISTOTLE5Apixaban for the Prevention of Stroke in Subjects With Atrial Fibrillation; AVERROES5Apixaban versus Acetylsalicylic Acid to Prevent Strokes; ENGAGE-AF TIMI 485Effective Anticoagulation With Factor xA Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction Study 48; INR5international normalized ratio; RE-LY5Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy; ROCKET-AF5Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation; SPORTIF5Stroke Prevention Using an Oral Thrombin Inhibitor in Patients With AF. e552S Antithrombotic Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation (Continued) Table [Section Should Dabigatran mg bid Rather Than VKAs be Used in Patients With AF? Quality Assessment Summary of Findings Risk of Bias Inconsistency Indirectness Imprecision Publication Bias Study Event Rates (%) Relative Effect CI) Estimation of Absolute Effects Time Frame No. 