Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation in CKD: Role of Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants. A Narrative Review

Adherence and persistence with direct oral anticoagulants by dose regimen: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are used in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) to prevent complications such as embolic events. Poor adherence to DOACs increases the risk of these complications. This manuscript reviews the impact of once-daily (OD) vs twice-daily (BID) dosing regimens on adherence and persistence to the authorized DOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban) in patients with NVAF, aiming to provide insights into guide clinical decision-making.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed. First, a bibliographical search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Articles that provided quantitative data comparing adherence and/or persistence associated with OD vs BID regimens of DOACs among patients receiving treatment for NVAF were included. Two analyses of adherence and persistence were conducted, one based on the overall outcomes and another, more restricted, to minimize the risk of overestimating results. Additionally, univariate analyses were conducted based on the number of follow-up days and the DOAC molecule.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine studies, involving 976 494 patients, were analysed. The OD regimen demonstrated significantly higher adherence and persistence (P < .05) than the BID regimen in most outcomes. Adherence favoured OD in 53.1% of cases, while only 12.2% favoured BID. Similarly, persistence was higher with the OD regimen in 67.7% of cases compared to 14.9% for the BID regimen. These results remained consistent over time; nevertheless, variations were observed depending on the specific DOAC molecules.

CONCLUSION

Adherence and persistence of treatment with DOACs in patients with NVAF were greater for the OD than for the BID regimen.

Effectiveness and safety in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients switching from warfarin to direct oral anticoagulants in US healthcare claims

INTRODUCTION

There is a paucity of real-world studies examining the risks of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding (MB) among non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients switching from warfarin to a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). This retrospective study was conducted to compare the stroke/SE and MB risks between patients switched from warfarin to apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban in real-world clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used data from four United States commercial claims databases from January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2019. The study population included NVAF patients initially treated with warfarin and switched to apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban within 90 days of their warfarin prescription ending. Patients were matched 1:1 between the DOACs in each database using propensity scores and then pooled for the final analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the risk of stroke/SE and MB.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The final population consisted of 2,611 apixaban-dabigatran, 12,165 apixaban-rivaroxaban, and 2,672 dabigatran-rivaroxaban pairs. Apixaban vs. dabigatran was associated with a lower risk of stroke/SE (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-0.96) and MB (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50-0.91). Apixaban vs. rivaroxaban was associated with a similar risk of stroke/SE (HR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.73-1.07) and a lower risk of MB (HR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.52-0.68). There was no significant difference in either risk between dabigatran and rivaroxaban. These results provide important insights into how the risks of stroke/SE and MB for NVAF patients vary when switching from warfarin to different DOACs.

A real-world exploration into clinical outcomes of direct oral anticoagulant therapy in people with chronic kidney disease: a large hospital-based study

BACKGROUND

There is limited evidence to support definite clinical outcomes of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy in chronic kidney disease (CKD). By identifying the important variables associated with clinical outcomes following DOAC administration in patients in different stages of CKD, this study aims to assess this evidence gap.

METHODS

An anonymised dataset comprising 97,413 patients receiving DOAC therapy in a tertiary health setting was systematically extracted from the multidimensional electronic health records and prepared for analysis. Machine learning classifiers were applied to the prepared dataset to select the important features which informed covariate selection in multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

For both CKD and non-CKD DOAC users, features such as length of stay, treatment days, and age were ranked highest for relevance to adverse outcomes like death and stroke. Patients with Stage 3a CKD had significantly higher odds of ischaemic stroke (OR 2.45, 95% Cl: 2.10-2.86; p = 0.001) and lower odds of all-cause mortality (OR 0.87, 95% Cl: 0.79-0.95; p = 0.001) on apixaban therapy. In patients with CKD (Stage 5) receiving apixaban, the odds of death were significantly lowered (OR 0.28, 95% Cl: 0.14-0.58; p = 0.001), while the effect on ischaemic stroke was insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive effect of DOAC therapy was observed in advanced CKD. Key factors influencing clinical outcomes following DOAC administration in patients in different stages of CKD were identified. These are crucial for designing more advanced studies to explore safer and more effective DOAC therapy for the population.