2019 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 85-92
Purpose and Methods: We conducted a retrospective comparative study of the impact of warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) on efficacy and safety events in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Results: The warfarin group included 359 patients (age, 76.7 ± 9.2 years; mean observation period, 3.5 years; and median time in therapeutic range, 64.8%) and the DOAC group included 357 patients (age, 78.1 ± 9.7 years; mean observation period, 2.0 years, and percentage administered at an appropriate dose, 88%). The incidence of stroke/systemic embolism and intracranial hemorrhage in the DOAC group was significantly lower than the warfarin group (2.3 vs. 3.1/100 person-years, p< 0.001; 0.4 vs. 1.0/100 person-years, p< 0.001, respectively). On the other hand, no differences were noted in the major bleeding incidence between the two groups (2.7 vs. 2.7/100 person-years, p = 0.90). Conclusions: In clinical practice, DOAC administration demonstrated non-inferior efficacy and safety to warfarin therapy for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
