Drug persistence and outcomes in a cohort of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation treated with rivaroxaban after 2 years of follow-up in clinical practice

Aim: To evaluate medication persistence and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation after 2 years of treatment with rivaroxaban in routine practice. Methods: Retrospective study of atrial fibrillation patients in whom rivaroxaban was prescribed during the first quarter of 2014 in the healthcare area of Costa del Sol (Malaga). Results: A total of 111 patients (mean age 74.9 +/- 10.9 years; 52.3% men; CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc 3.6 +/- 1.3; HAS-BLED 1.3 +/- 0.6) were included. A total of 96.3 and 90.6% of patients remained on rivaroxaban therapy after 1 and 2 years of treatment, respectively. During this period, stroke, net clinical benefit outcome (thromboembolic events, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death and major bleeding) and cardiovascular death occurred in 3.6, 5.4 and 1.8% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: In routine practice, medication persistence with rivaroxaban was high. Rates of major cardiac events were low.