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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient and Transjugular Liver Biopsy
Published on: June 18, 2020
Bleeding risk of oral anticoagulants in liver cirrhosis
Oriana Munevar Aquite1, Michael Hayes2, Kebede Beyene1
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Insights
Patients with liver cirrhosis taking dabigatran showed a lower bleeding risk compared to warfarin. However, this difference was not statistically significant in this study.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Limited data exists on dabigatran safety in liver cirrhosis patients.
- Bleeding risks of dabigatran versus warfarin in this population are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the bleeding risk of dabigatran and warfarin in patients with liver cirrhosis.
- To evaluate dabigatran safety in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study across three tertiary centers (2008-2020).
- Included adults (18+) with confirmed liver cirrhosis.
- Primary outcome: hospital-admitted bleeding events.
Main Results:
- 100 patients included: 52 on warfarin, 48 on dabigatran.
- Bleeding rate: Warfarin 14.4/100 person-years; Dabigatran 9.1/100 person-years.
- Incidence rate ratio (Dabigatran vs. Warfarin): 0.63 (p=0.25).
Conclusions:
- Dabigatran may be associated with a lower bleeding risk than warfarin in liver cirrhosis patients.
- The observed difference in bleeding risk was not statistically significant.
Aim:
The safety of dabigatran is poorly studied in patients with liver cirrhosis and has rarely been compared to warfarin in terms of bleeding risks.
Method:
We undertook a retrospective cohort study across three tertiary centres in Auckland, New Zealand, between 2008 to 2020. Adults 18 years and over and those with a clinically confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis were included. Data collected included demographic data and clinical characteristics, baseline medication and comorbidities. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of any bleeding event that resulted in hospital admission.
Results:
Overall, 100 patients were included in this study. A total of 52 patients took warfarin, and 48 took dabigatran. Baseline characteristics for both groups were generally similar. The incidence rate of bleeds for patients taking warfarin was 14.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 8.8-23.5) compared to 9.1 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 4.5-18.1) for patients taking dabigatran. The incidence rate ratio comparing dabigatran to warfarin was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.23-1.60), p=0.25.
Conclusion:
Our study found that patients on dabigatran may have a lower bleeding risk than patients taking warfarin, but this was not statistically significant.
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