Effectiveness and safety of dabigatran versus warfarin in “real-world” Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation: A single-center observational study

BACKGROUND: In “real-world” practice, anticoagulant therapy is indicated for patients whose clinical profiles are not addressed in randomized clinical trials. We assessed the effectiveness and safety of dabigatran versus warfarin in “real-world” Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). METHODS: Among 613 NVAF patients who initiated dabigatran or warfarin therapy during the period between 2011 and 2013, 362 patients were included in the study after propensity score adjustment. The median follow-up period was 1.3 years. The effectiveness and safety outcomes were thromboembolism and major bleeding, respectively. RESULTS: The propensity-matched hazard ratios of thromboembolism and major bleeding with dabigatran were 1.03 (95% CI: 0.12-8.04, p=0.971) and 0.15 (95% CI: 0.01–0.90, p=0.037), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of dabigatran to prevent thromboembolism is comparable to that of warfarin; however, the major bleeding rate is lower with dabigatran in “real-world” NVAF patients.