A trial published in Circulation showed apixaban to be safer than warfarin in the context of dialysis-dependent ESKD patients with AF. Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis are often excluded from clinical trials of direct oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent data have raised concern regarding the safety of dabigatran and rivaroxaban. The trial was the first of its kind to determine the risk-benefit ratio of apixaban and warfarin in ESKD patients with AF.
The trial consisted of about 25,523 patients and was mainly divided into two phases. Out of the patients included in the trial, 2351 patients were kept on apixaban and 23,172 were prescribed warfarin. Two dosages of the drugs were compared: apixaban and warfarin 5 mg twice daily; and apixaban and warfarin 2.5 mg twice daily. In case of 5mg dosage, trial outcomes suggested, that apixaban was…
