Efficacy and safety of different oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in older patients with atrial fibrillation: A network meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#aged #aged-80-and-over #humans #administration-oral #anticoagulants

Efficacy and safety of different oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in older patients with atrial fibrillation: A network meta-analysis

Zhang et al., 2024 | Medicine (Baltimore) | Systematic Review

Citation

Zhang Han, Liu Feng, Lu Xueli. Efficacy and safety of different oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in older patients with atrial fibrillation: A network meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024-Oct-18;103(42):e39937. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000039937

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Various oral anticoagulants have been used for stroke prevention in older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the optimal anticoagulants for stroke prevention has not yet been developed. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to determine the optimal instructions. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library without restriction for publication date or language at January 2024. Any RCTs that compared the effectiveness of a direct oral anticoagulant and a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) for stroke prevention in older patients with AF were included in this network meta-analysis. The Bayesian network meta-analysis used a random effects model and surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis to rank results. All analyses were done using R software with gemtc package, with statistical significance set at P < .05. RESULTS: We included 7 RCTs (79,003 patients) comparing 8 different instructions including Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, Dabigatran 150 mg, Edoxaban 30 mg, Edoxaban 60 mg, Rivaroxaban 15 mg, Rivaroxaban 20 mg, and VKA. Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, and Dabigatran 150 mg was more effective than the VKA for reducing stroke or systemic embolism risks, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, Dabigatran 150 mg, Edoxaban 30 mg, and Edoxaban 60 mg was associated with a reduction of the intracranial hemorrhage rate than the VKA (P < .05). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve shows that Dabigatran 110 mg ranked first for reducing stroke or systemic embolism risks. Edoxaban 60 mg ranked first for major bleeding. Dabigatran 110 mg ranked first for intracranial hemorrhage. Apixaban 5 mg ranked first for all bleeding events. CONCLUSIONS: Direct oral anticoagulants were found to have lower rates of thromboembolic events compared to VKAs in older patients with AF. Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, Dabigatran 150 mg, Edoxaban 30 mg, and Edoxaban 60 mg were also associated with a reduction of intracranial hemorrhage than VKA.

Key Findings

We included 7 RCTs (79,003 patients) comparing 8 different instructions including Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, Dabigatran 150 mg, Edoxaban 30 mg, Edoxaban 60 mg, Rivaroxaban 15 mg, Rivaroxaban 20 mg, and VKA. Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, and Dabigatran 150 mg was more effective than the VKA for reducing stroke or systemic embolism risks, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). Apixaban 5 mg, Dabigatran 110 mg, Dabigatran 150 mg, Edoxaban 30 mg, and Edoxaban 60 mg wa

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population older patients
Sample Size 79003
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Humans
  • Administration, Oral
  • Anticoagulants
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Dabigatran
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyridones
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Rivaroxaban
  • Stroke
  • Thiazoles
  • Pyridines

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review, Network Meta-Analysis
  • Vertical: vitamin-k

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09