Rivaroxaban vs Vitamin K Antagonist in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

Treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) has been linked to worsening of kidney function in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

XARENO (Factor XA-inhibition in RENal patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation Observational registry; NCT02663076) is a prospective observational study comparing adverse kidney outcomes in patients with AF and advanced chronic kidney disease receiving rivaroxaban or VKA.

Patients with AF and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 15 to 49 mL/min/1.73 m² were included. Blinded adjudicated outcome analysis evaluated adverse kidney outcomes (a composite of eGFR decline to <15 mL/min/1.73 m², need for chronic kidney replacement therapy, or development of acute kidney injury). A composite net clinical benefit outcome (stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, or cardiovascular death) was also analyzed. HRs with 95% CIs were calculated using propensity score overlap weighting Cox regression.

There were 1,455 patients (764 rivaroxaban; 691 VKA; mean age 78 years; 44% females). The mean eGFR was 37.1 ± 9.0 in those receiving rivaroxaban and 36.4 ± 10.1 mL/min/1.73 m² in those receiving VKA. After a median follow-up of 2.1 years, rivaroxaban was associated with less adverse kidney outcomes (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.43-0.88) and all-cause death (HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.98). No significant differences were observed in net clinical benefit.

In patients with AF and advanced chronic kidney disease, those receiving rivaroxaban had less adverse kidney events and lower all-cause mortality compared to those receiving VKA, supporting the use of rivaroxaban in this high-risk group of patients.