Randomized controlled clinical trials versus real-life atrial fibrillation patients treated with oral anticoagulants. Do we treat the same patients?
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ABSTRACT: Background
The aim of the study was to compare clinical characteristics of real-life atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with populations included in randomized clinical trials (ROCKET AF and RE-LY).Methods
The analysis included 3528 patients who are participants of the ongoing, multicentre, retrospective CRAFT study. The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02987062. The study is based on a retrospective analysis of hospital records of AF patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) (acenocoumarol, warfarin) and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) (dabigatran, rivaroxaban). CHADS2 score was used for risk of stroke stratification.Results
VKA was prescribed in 1973 (56.0%), while NOAC in 1549 (44.0%), including dabigatran - 504 (14.3%) and rivaroxaban - 1051 (29.8%), of the 3528 patients. VKA patients in the CRAFT study were at significantly lower risk of stroke (CHADS2 1.9 ± 1.3), compared with the VKA population from the RE-LY (2.1 ± 1.1) and the ROCKET-AF (3.5 ± 1.0). Patients in the CRAFT study treated with NOAC (CHADS2 for patients on dabigatran 150 mg - 1.3 ± 1.2 and on rivaroxaban - 2.2 ± 1.4) had lower risk than patients from the RE-LY (2.2 ± 1.2) and the ROCKET AF (3.5 ± 0.9).Conclusions
Real-world patients had a lower risk of stroke than patients included in the RE-LY and ROCKET AF trials.
SUBMITTER: Balsam P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8078963 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundDirect oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and GI cancer compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKA).MethodsWe conducted a Danish nationwide cohort study comparing the bleeding risk associated with DOAC versus VKA in patients with AF and GI cancer. We calculated crude bleeding rates per 100 person-years (PYs) for GI and major bleeding. We then compared rates of bleeding at 1 year after initial oral anticoagulation filled prescription by treatment regimen using inverse probability of treatment weighting and Cox regression.ResultsThe unweighted study population included 1476 AF patients with GI cancer (41.6% women, median age 78 years) initiating a DOAC and 652 initiating a VKA. One-year risk of GI bleeding was 5.0% in the DOAC group and 4.7% in the VKA group with a corresponding weighted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63, 1.45). For patients with active cancer, weighted GI bleeding rates were slightly higher in both the VKA and DOAC group, and the weighted HR was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.88). The HR was 1.12 (95% CI: 0.71, 1.76) for all bleedings. Hazard ratios for GI bleeding were 0.61 (95% CI: 0.25, 1.52) for patients with upper GI cancer, and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.58, 1.46) in patients with colorectal cancer.ConclusionEvidence from this nationwide cohort study suggests a comparable 1-year risk of bleeding associated with DOAC compared with VKA among patients with AF and GI cancer.
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Project description:Background and purposeThis study aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of 4 non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and warfarin in Asians with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in real-world practice through a network meta-analysis of observational studies.MethodsWe searched multiple comprehensive databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library) for studies published until August 2020. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used for the pooled estimates. Efficacy outcomes included ischemic stroke (IS), stroke/systemic embolism (SSE), myocardial infarction (MI), and all-cause mortality, and safety outcomes included major bleeding, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The P score was calculated for ranking probabilities. Subgroup analyses were separately performed in accordance with the dosage range of NOACs ("standard-" and "low-dose").ResultsA total of 11, 6, and 8 studies were allocated to the total population, standard-dose group, and low-dose group, respectively. In the total study population, edoxaban ranked the best in terms of IS and ICH prevention and apixaban ranked the best for SSE, major bleeding, and GI bleeding. In the standard-dose regimen, apixaban ranked the best in terms of IS and SSE prevention. For major bleeding, GI bleeding, and ICH, edoxaban ranked the best. In the low-dose regimen, edoxaban ranked the best for IS, SSE, GI bleeding, and ICH prevention. For major bleeding prevention, apixaban ranked best.ConclusionsAll 4 NOACs had different efficacy and safety outcomes according to their type and dosage. Apixaban and edoxaban might be relatively better and more well-balanced treatment for Asian patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
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Project description:OBJECTIVES:Older adult patients are underrepresented in clinical trials comparing non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and warfarin. This subgroup analysis of the ARISTOPHANES study used multiple data sources to compare the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among very old patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) prescribed NOACs or warfarin. DESIGN:Retrospective observational study. SETTING:The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and three US commercial claims databases. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 88 582 very old (aged ≥80 y) NVAF patients newly initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin from January 1, 2013, to September 30, 2015. MEASUREMENTS:In each database, six 1:1 propensity score matched (PSM) cohorts were created for each drug comparison. Patient cohorts were pooled from all four databases after PSM. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of stroke/SE and MB. RESULTS:The patients in the six matched cohorts had a mean follow-up time of 7 to 9 months. Compared with warfarin, apixaban (HR = .58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .49-.69), dabigatran (HR = .77; 95% CI = .60-.99), and rivaroxaban (HR = .74; 95% CI = .65-.85) were associated with lower risks of stroke/SE. For MB, apixaban (HR = .60; 95% CI = .54-.67) was associated with a lower risk; dabigatran (HR = .92; 95% CI = .78-1.07) was associated with a similar risk, and rivaroxaban (HR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.07-1.24) was associated with a higher risk compared with warfarin. Apixaban was associated with a lower risk of stroke/SE and MB compared with dabigatran (stroke/SE: HR = .65; 95% CI = .47-.89; MB: HR = .60; 95% CI = .49-.73) and rivaroxaban (stroke/SE: HR = .72; 95% CI = .59-.86; MB: HR = .50; 95% CI = .45-.55). Dabigatran was associated with a lower risk of MB (HR = .77; 95% CI = .67-.90) compared with rivaroxaban. CONCLUSION:Among very old NVAF patients, NOACs were associated with lower rates of stroke/SE and varying rates of MB compared with warfarin. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:1662-1671, 2019.
| S-EPMC6852415 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The choice of an oral anticoagulant (OAC) for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is a major and complex clinical decision taking into account the individual risk-benefit ratio and bearing in mind the chronicity of therapy. This review focuses on the safety and efficacy of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) compared with conventional vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in patients with NVAF. Current data suggest that NOACs are at least as effective and safe as VKAs for most NVAF subjects. The NOACs do not mandate dietary restrictions and regular pharmacodynamic monitoring, and they seem to have lesser incidence of intracranial or fatal bleeding when compared with VKAs. However, both dabigatran 150 twice daily and rivaroxaban have a slightly higher incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding when compared with VKAs. The article will delineate the current knowledge as well as scientific gaps related to the choice and dosage of anticoagulation regimens for various NVAF subsets and will address certain common clinical scenarios requiring special considerations. The article also addresses the shortcomings of NOACs: lack of therapeutic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic targets, absence of tools to assess compliance and efficacy, rigid and limited dosage options, and absence of effective and inexpensive reversal agents.
| S-EPMC6490750 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION: Oral anticoagulants (OAs) are significantly more effective than Aspirin in the prevention of cerebrovascular accidents among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Several studies, however, showed OAs to be widely underused in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To assess the appropriateness of antithrombotic therapy in an Italian population of AF patients. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-five consecutive patients affected by nonvalvular AF participated in the study. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, risk factors for stroke, current prophylactic therapy, and perceived or actual risk factors for bleeding. INR levels were measured. Patients were stratified by their risk for stroke (214 at high risk, 21 moderate, 20 low), and their prophylactic therapy was analysed in light of international antithrombotic therapy recommendations. After therapy adjustment, 203 of our patients were followed-up for the occurrence of cerebrovascular events for an average of 27 months. RESULTS: Upon admission, 35% (n=75) of patients in the high-risk category were either taking no antithrombotic prophylaxis or were being treated with Aspirin. In addition, 38 of 139 patients receiving OAs had an INR<2. Thus, a total of 113 (52.8%) high-risk subjects were not receiving adequate antithrombotic therapy. Of high-risk patients not treated with OAs, 46.7% reported no perceived or actual risk factors for bleeding. The annual incidence of cerebrovascular accidents was 3.8% among 163 high-risk patients assigned to OA treatment, and 4.5% among 39 patients given Aspirin treatment. Relative to expected annual incidence rates, cerebrovascular risk in anticoagulated patients was reduced by about 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Underuse of OAs is still common in Italy, and much of it cannot be explained by the concern for haemorrhage. Support and training in the complex task of anticoagulation management may help to extend this efficacious prophylactic therapy to all patients who may benefit from it.
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Project description:Background and Purpose- This ARISTOPHANES study (Anticoagulants for Reduction in Stroke: Observational Pooled Analysis on Health Outcomes and Experience of Patients) used multiple data sources to compare stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among a large number of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or warfarin. Methods- A retrospective observational study of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin from January 1, 2013, to September 30, 2015, was conducted pooling Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare data and 4 US commercial claims databases. After 1:1 NOAC-warfarin and NOAC-NOAC propensity score matching in each database, the resulting patient records were pooled. Cox models were used to evaluate the risk of stroke/SE and MB across matched cohorts. Results- A total of 285?292 patients were included in the 6 matched cohorts: 57?929 apixaban-warfarin, 26?838 dabigatran-warfarin, 83?007 rivaroxaban-warfarin, 27?096 apixaban-dabigatran, 62?619 apixaban-rivaroxaban, and 27?538 dabigatran-rivaroxaban patient pairs. Apixaban (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.54-0.69), dabigatran (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.94), and rivaroxaban (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69-0.82) were associated with lower rates of stroke/SE compared with warfarin. Apixaban (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.54-0.62) and dabigatran (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.66-0.81) had lower rates of MB, and rivaroxaban (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13) had a higher rate of MB compared with warfarin. Differences exist in rates of stroke/SE and MB across NOACs. Conclusions- In this largest observational study to date on NOACs and warfarin, the NOACs had lower rates of stroke/SE and variable comparative rates of MB versus warfarin. The findings from this study may help inform the discussion on benefit and risk in the shared decision-making process for stroke prevention between healthcare providers and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ . Unique identifier: NCT03087487.
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