Effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban versus warfarin among nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients with obesity and diabetes

J Diabetes Complications. 2021 Nov;35(11):108029. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2021.108029. Epub 2021 Sep 4.

Abstract

Aims: To compare clinical outcomes of rivaroxaban and warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and concurrent obesity and diabetes.

Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years were identified from a healthcare claims database with the following criteria: newly initiating rivaroxaban or warfarin, ≥1 medical claim with a diagnosis of AF, obesity determined by validated machine learning algorithm, and ≥1 claim with a diagnosis of diabetes or for antidiabetic medication. Treatment cohorts were matched using propensity scores and were compared for stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: A total of 9999 matched pairs of NVAF patients with obesity and diabetes who initiated treatment with rivaroxaban or warfarin were included. The composite risk of stroke/SE was significantly lower in the rivaroxaban cohort compared with the warfarin cohort (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.74-0.90). Risks of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes were also significantly reduced with rivaroxaban versus warfarin, but not SE. Major bleeding risk was similar between treatment cohorts (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.78-1.09).

Conclusions: In NVAF patients with comorbidities of obesity and diabetes, rivaroxaban was associated with lower risks of stroke/SE and similar risk of major bleeding versus warfarin.

Keywords: Anticoagulation; Diabetes mellitus; Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation; Obesity; Rivaroxaban; Warfarin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anticoagulants / adverse effects
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / complications
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / drug therapy
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus* / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus* / epidemiology
  • Embolism*
  • Hemorrhage / chemically induced
  • Hemorrhage / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Rivaroxaban / adverse effects
  • Rivaroxaban / therapeutic use*
  • Stroke / epidemiology
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / prevention & control
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Warfarin / adverse effects
  • Warfarin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Warfarin
  • Rivaroxaban