Safety and Efficacy of Non-Vitamin K Antagonists in Atrial Fibrillation in the real world: A pooled-analysis and comparison of XANTUS and ETNA-AF-EU studies
Abstract Background: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of treatment with edoxaban or rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: Pooled analysis from two real-world cohorts. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and thromboembolic events at 1 year. Safety outcomes were assessed by major or nonmajor bleeding. Results: A total of 19876 patients were enrolled in both trials. All-cause mortality at 1 year was lower in the rivaroxaban group (118 of 6784 patients [1.7%]) than in the edoxaban group (442 of 13092 patients [3.5%]) (unadjusted odds ratio was 1.97 (95% CI, 1.61 to 2.42; P=<0.00001). Cardiovascular mortality was edoxaban (206 of 13092 patients [1.63%]) vs rivaroxaban 49 of 6784 patients [0.72%]) (unadjusted OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.61 to 3.00; p=<0.00001). Overall, the efficacy outcomes favoured the rivaroxaban cohort (OR 1.97, 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.91; P=0.0002), with no significant difference in ischaemic stroke between the two cohorts (unadjusted OR 1.13, 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.73; P=0.56). Overall, safety outcomes tended to occur more often in the edoxaban cohort (unadjusted OR 0.43, 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.40; P=<0.00001). Conclusion: Rivaroxaban and edoxaban seem to be effective and safe. However, real-world prospective studies evaluating safety and efficacy in certain subgroups are needed.