Abstract
Background
The COMPASS trial demonstrated that a combination of rivaroxaban and aspirin improved cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in high-risk patients with either peripheral artery disease (PAD) or stable coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with aspirin alone, at the price of increased bleeding. A previous analysis of the REACH Registry reported an eligibility rate of 52.9% within a population with stable vascular disease. However, most of cardiologists actually treat patients with stable CAD, rather than PAD. Data regarding eligibility to COMPASS in CAD patients from real life practice are scarce.
Purpose
We aimed to describe the proportion of patients eligible to COMPASS within the CLARIFY Registry. Additionally, we aimed to describe their management and outcomes, comparing patients excluded from the trial (COMPASS Excluded), patients eligible for the trial (COMPASS Eligible), and patients who did not meet the “enrichment criteria” for enrolment (COMPASS Not Included).
Methods
We used the CLARIFY Registry, an international observational registry of more than 30.000 patients with stable CAD. In accordance with COMPASS exclusion criteria, patients with a REACH bleeding risk score >10, heart failure (HF), severe renal insufficiency, need for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), or anticoagulant (AC) therapy were excluded. Then, COMPASS inclusion criteria were applied: CAD patients had to be 65 years or more, or, if younger, have documented atherosclerosis (PAD or revascularization involving at least two vascular beds) or at least two enrichment criteria (current smoker, diabetes mellitus, GFR <60 mL/min, or non lacunar ischemic stroke).The ischemic outcome was a composite of CV death, MI, or stroke and bleeding outcome was a composite of bleeding leading to either admission or transfusion, or haemorrhagic stroke.
Results
Among 15.185 patients with comprehensive data allowing precise assessment of eligibility, 43.1% (n=6.540) had at least one exclusion criteria (COMPASS-Excluded), 23.1% (n=3.503) did not have enrichment criteria (COMPASS-Not Included) and 33.9% (n=5.142) were eligible. The vast majority of excluded patients were excluded due to high bleeding risk (62.7% needing DAPT, and 52.7% for high REACH bleeding risk score). The rates (100 patients/year) of ischemic and bleeding outcome were 2.3 [2.1–2.5] and 0.5 [0.4–0.6] respectively for COMPASS-Eligible, 3.0 [2.8–3.2] and 0.6 [0.5–0.7] for COMPASS-Excluded and 1.2 [1.0–1.4] and 0.2 [0.2–0.3] for COMPASS-Not Included.
Ischemic and bleeding events
Conclusion
In a large contemporary registry of stable CAD patients, approximately one of three patients was potentially eligible for adjunction of low-dose rivaroxaban to aspirin. This group is at particularly high risk of ischemic outcome. Patients with exclusion criteria for COMPASS had the worse ischemic and bleeding outcomes and represent a group in need of improved therapy.
Acknowledgement/Funding
None