Safety and Effectiveness of Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation

SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH NON-VALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TREATED WITH OACS: COMPARISON BETWEEN NOACS AND WARFARIN (CER3)

An anticoagulation therapy is a critical treatment to prevent thromboembolism in non-valvular AF (NVAF) patients. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is the first oral anticoagulant approved for the treatment for prevention of thromboembolism and it had long been the only oral anticoagulant until the first non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). However, its safety and effectiveness remains unknown in real-world clinical practice in Japan

An anticoagulation therapy is a critical treatment to prevent thromboembolism in non-valvular AF (NVAF) patients. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is the first oral anticoagulant approved for the treatment for prevention of thromboembolism and it had long been the only oral anticoagulant until the first non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). However, its safety and effectiveness remains unknown in real-world clinical practice in Japan. This study will evaluate the risk of stroke/SE as well as the risk of bleeding in the real world settings in Japan in patients with NVAF who initiated any of OACs (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, or warfarin)

Inclusion criteria

Patients must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the study:

1. Diagnosed with AF anytime in the baseline period or on the index date, also have definitive diagnosis of AF anytime in the baseline period, on the index date, or post-index period.
2. Prescribed one of the index OACs (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban or warfarin) on or after the day of AF diagnosis. The first observed prescription will be used to identify the patient's index date and treatment cohort
3. No use of the any OACs during the baseline period (the 180 days before the index date)
4. Age of 18 years or older on the index date.

Exclusion criteria

Patients meeting any of the following criteria will not be included in the study:

1. Having a diagnosis of valvular atrial fibrillation, post-operative atrial fibrillation, rheumatic atrial fibrillation or mechanical-valvular atrial fibrillation during the baseline and post-index period 2. Having a cardiac surgery procedure record during the baseline period 3. Having a joint replacement procedure record during the baseline period 4. Having a procedure of prosthetic heart valve during the baseline period 5. Having a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism during the baseline period 6. Female patients with pregnancy during the follow-up period 7. Patients prescribed "off-label" doses of OACs (per Japanese package insert of each OAC) or patients treated with OAC but in "off-label" or "contraindicated" manners.

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