Efficacy and Safety of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Chronic Kidney Disease Stage G4: A Single-Center Experience

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2020 Dec;76(6):671-677. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000911.

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased stroke and bleeding risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little is known about the real-life use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in CKD stage G4. In a retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 182 consecutive AF patients with CKD stage G4 including 90 (49%) subjects on NOAC, ie, 61 on apixaban 2.5 mg bid and 29 on rivaroxaban 15 mg qd, and 92 (51%) subjects on warfarin. Thromboembolic and bleeding events were recorded during a mean follow-up of 26.3 months. There were no differences in demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables at baseline between the 2 treatment groups. During follow-up, arterial thromboembolic events occurred in 11 (12.22%) subjects on NOAC and 7 (7.61%) on warfarin, (hazard ratio [HR] 1.70; 95% CI, 0.65-4.42), with similar risk of ischemic stroke (9 [10%] vs. 7 [7.61%], P = 0.56, respectively). Major bleedings or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding occurred in 14 (15.56%) on NOAC and 13 (14.13%) on warfarin, (HR 1.12; 95% CI, 0.53-2.39), with similar risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (HR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.20-2.47). We observed no difference in all-cause mortality related to the type of anticoagulants, but it tended to be lower in the apixaban group compared with rivaroxaban group (14.7% vs. 31%, P = 0.07), without any differences in thromboembolic and bleeding events. The study suggests that AF patients with CKD stage G4 receiving reduced-dose NOAC or warfarin have similar risk of thromboembolism and bleeding in everyday practice of a tertiary anticoagulation center.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticoagulants / administration & dosage*
  • Anticoagulants / adverse effects
  • Atrial Fibrillation / complications
  • Atrial Fibrillation / diagnosis
  • Atrial Fibrillation / drug therapy*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / mortality
  • Factor Xa Inhibitors / administration & dosage*
  • Factor Xa Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Hemorrhage / chemically induced
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Poland
  • Pyrazoles / administration & dosage*
  • Pyrazoles / adverse effects
  • Pyridones / administration & dosage*
  • Pyridones / adverse effects
  • Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / complications*
  • Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / diagnosis
  • Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / mortality
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Rivaroxaban / administration & dosage*
  • Rivaroxaban / adverse effects
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Stroke / diagnosis
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / mortality
  • Stroke / prevention & control*
  • Thromboembolism / diagnosis
  • Thromboembolism / etiology
  • Thromboembolism / mortality
  • Thromboembolism / prevention & control*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Warfarin / administration & dosage*
  • Warfarin / adverse effects

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Factor Xa Inhibitors
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyridones
  • apixaban
  • Warfarin
  • Rivaroxaban