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Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Apixaban and Rivaroxaban in Older Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Apixaban and Rivaroxaban in Older Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Heart rhythm Shurrab, M., Austin, P. C., Jackevicius, C. A., Tu, K., Qiu, F., Haldenby, O., Middleton, A., Turakhia, M. P., Lopes, R. D., Boden, W. E., Castellucci, L. A., Heidenreich, P. A., Healey, J. S., Ko, D. T. 2024

Abstract

There are no clinical trials with head-to-head comparison between the two most commonly used oral anticoagulants (apixaban and rivaroxaban) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The comparative efficacy and safety between these drugs remain unclear, especially among older patients who are at the highest risk for stroke and bleeding.To compare the risk of major bleeding and thromboembolic events with apixaban versus rivaroxaban in older patients with AF.We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study of all adult patients (66 years or older) with AF in Ontario, Canada who were treated with apixaban or rivaroxaban between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2020. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding and the primary efficacy outcome was thromboembolic events. Secondary outcomes included any bleeding. Rates and hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for baseline comorbidities with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).This study included 42,617 patients with AF treated with apixaban and 30,725 patients treated with rivaroxaban. After IPTW using the propensity score, patients in the apixaban and rivaroxaban groups were well balanced for baseline values of demographics, comorbidities and medications; both groups had similar mean age of 77.4 years and 49.9% were female. At one year, the apixaban group had reduced risk for both major bleeding with an absolute risk reduction at one year of 1.1% (2.1% vs 3.2%; HR 0.65 [95% CI, 0.59-0.71]) and any bleeding (8.1% vs 10.9%; HR 0.73 [95% CI, 0.69-0.77]) with no difference in the risk for thromboembolic events (2.2% vs 2.2%; HR 1.02 [95% CI, 0.92-1.13]).Among AF patients, 66 years or older, treatment with apixaban was associated with reduced risk for major bleeding with no difference in risk for thromboembolic events compared with rivaroxaban.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.hrthm.2024.06.010

View details for PubMedID 38878942