Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants in Comparison to Phenprocoumon in Geriatric and Non-Geriatric Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Geriatric characteristics such as high age, multi-morbidity, polypharmacy and frailty are common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). In a retrospective study using a German claims database, effectiveness (ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism) and safety (intracerebral, gastrointestinal and major extracranial bleeding) were compared in patients with non-valvular AF starting non-vitamin K oral antagonists (NOACs) (apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban) and phenprocoumon. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios, and interaction terms of the treatment group and geriatric status (defined by age ≥75 years, frailty, ≥ 4 co-morbidities and polypharmacy) were entered into the model. A total of 42,562 and 27,939 patients initiated NOAC and phenprocoumon treatment (mean age 74 years ± 11, 51% male) with a follow-up time of 147,785 person-years. Note that 52.9% of patients were elderly, 50.8% were frail, 37.0% were co-morbid and 46.5% had polypharmacy. NOAC use was not associated with effectiveness and gastrointestinal bleeding, neither in geriatric nor in non-geriatric patients. The hazard of major extracranial and intracranial bleeding was significantly decreased for NOAC use, with similar risk reduction in geriatric and non-geriatric patients: major extracranial bleeding 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.87) to 0.73 (95% CI, 0.60-0.89) for the geriatric groups and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.56-0.93) to 0.76 (0.59-0.98) for the non-geriatric groups ( p -values for interaction > 0.6); and intracranial bleeding 0.52 (95% CI, 0.39-0.69) to 0.59 (95% CI, 0.47-0.73) for the geriatric groups and 0.54 (95% CI, 0.37-0.79) to 0.65 (95% CI, 0.49-0.86) for the non-geriatric groups ( p -values for interaction > 0.2). Hence, NOACs showed similar effectiveness and superior safety in geriatric and non-geriatric patients.
Competing Interests: Dr. Hohmann has served as a consultant for Pfizer and received non-financial support from Orion Pharma, Actelion Pharma, Bayer and MSD. Professor Hohnloser has served as a consultant for Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo and Jansen. Professor Pfister received lecture fees from Bayer, BMS/Pfizer and Daiichi Sankyo. Other authors report no conflict of interest.The authors have indicated that they have no other conflicts of interest regarding the content of this article.
(Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)