What is Standard Dose of Rivaroxaban in Elderly Asian Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: 20ms versus. 15mg?

Although there is no age criterion for rivaroxaban dose reduction, elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are often prescribed an off-label reduced dose. We aimed to evaluate whether age is a necessary criterion for rivaroxaban dose reduction in Korean patients with AF. Among 2208 patients who prescribed warfarin or rivaroxaban, 552 patients over 75 years without renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance >50 mL/min) were compared based on propensity score matching. The rivaroxaban group was further divided into a 20 mg (R20; on-label) and a 15 mg (R15; off-label). Primary net clinical benefit (NCB) was defined as the composite of stroke, systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality. Secondary NCB was defined as the composite of stroke, systemic embolism, and major bleeding. Patients were followed for 1 year, or until the first outcome occurrence. Both rivaroxaban groups had comparable efficacy compared with warfarin. However, both R20 (0.9% vs 7.4%, p = .014) and R15 (2.3% vs 7.4%, p = .018) had a significant reduction in major bleeding. There were no differences in efficacy or safety outcomes between R20 and R15. R20 had significantly reduced primary (hazard ratio [HR] 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12–0.93) and secondary (HR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.10–0.93) NCBs compared with warfarin. However, primary and secondary NCBs were not reduced in R15. In real-world practice with elderly patients with AF, off-label rivaroxaban dose reduction to 15 mg conferred no benefits. Therefore, guideline-adherent rivaroxaban 20 mg is favorable in elderly Korean patients with AF.