Apixaban safer than rivaroxaban in AF with liver disease, doctors say
Professor James McFadyen said previous NOAC studies excluded patients with cirrhosis and AF.
Doctors can be reassured that apixaban is safe for patients with AF and liver disease, a retrospective cohort study suggests.
The Harvard University-led study found a 38% and 47% higher rate of major haemorrhagic events with warfarin or rivaroxaban, respectively, compared with apixaban, for patients with both cirrhosis and AF.
“These findings suggest apixaban may offer safety benefits over both rivaroxaban and warfarin in patients with cirrhosis and AF engaged in routine care,” they wrote in Annals of Internal Medicine in July.
Professor James McFadyen, a haematologist at Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital, told AusDoc that the results were reassuring for doctors.
