Evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of Direct-Acting Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Coexisting Valvular Heart Disease

Background Current guidelines recommend direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) over warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and valvular heart disease (VHD) without a mechanical valve or moderate to severe mitral stenosis. However, real-world data to support the safety and efficacy of DOACs in this patient population are lacking. Objective Our objective was to assess the safety and effectiveness of DOACs in patients with AF and VHD. Methods This retrospective chart review evaluated patients aged >= 18 years with a diagnosis of AF and at least moderate VHD on echocardiogram. Patients were included if they received >= 1 month of DOAC therapy from December 2016 to December 2018. Patients were excluded if they received dual antiplatelet therapy or had additional indications for anticoagulation. The primary outcomes were incidence of stroke or systemic embolism (SSE) and major bleeding. Results In total, 200 patients were included (disease type: aortic, n = 50; mitral, n = 50; tricuspid, n = 50; multivalve, n = 50). Most patients received apixaban (n = 133 [66.5%]) followed by rivaroxaban (n = 50 [25%]) and dabigatran (n = 17 [8.5%]). No patients received edoxaban. The mean CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score was 4.25 and was similar among DOAC cohorts (p = 0.380). The overall SSE rate was 3.5% and was highest for dabigatran (n = 3 [17.6%]) compared with the other DOACs (apixaban, n = 1 [0.8%]; rivaroxaban, n = 3 [6%]; p = 0.001). Rates were similar among different valve types (aortic, n = 3 [6%]; mitral, n = 1 [2%]; tricuspid, n = 2 [4%]; multivalve, n = 1 [2%]; p = 0.653). The overall rate of major bleeding was 5.5% and did not differ among the DOACs (apixaban, n = 5 [3.8%]; rivaroxaban, n = 4 [8%]; dabigatran, n = 2 [11.8%]; p = 0.264) or valve type (aortic, n = 3 [6%]; mitral, n = 2 [4%]; tricuspid, n = 2 [4%]; multivalve, n = 4 [8%]; p = 0.787). Conclusions In patients with AF and VHD, rates of major bleeding were similar among the DOACs and valve types; however, more patients receiving dabigatran experienced SSE. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.