Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the most common arrhythmia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). As in the general population, AF is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism and stroke, according to progressive decline of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). However, CKD patients, especially those on renal replacement therapy (RRT), also exhibit an increased risk of bleeding, especially from the gastrointestinal tract. Oral anticoagulation is the most effective form of thromboprophylaxis in patients with AF presenting increased risk of stroke. Limited evidence on efficacy, the increased risk of bleeding as well as some concern regarding the use of warfarin in CKD, has often resulted in the underuse of anticoagulation CKD patients. A large body of evidence suggests that non-vitamin K-dependent oral anticoagulant agents (NOACs) significantly reduce the risk of stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality, with lower to similar major bleeding rates compared with vitamin K antagonist such as warfarin in normal renal function subjects. Hence, they are currently recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation at risk for stroke. However, NOACs metabolism is largely dependent on the kidneys for elimination and little is known in patients with creatinine clearance <25 ml/min who were excluded from all pivotal phase 3 NOACs trials. This review focuses on the current pharmacokinetic, observational, and prospective data on NOACs in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (creatinine clearance <25 ml/min) and those on dialysis.
Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; NOACs; anticoagulation therapy; chronic kidney disease; nonvitamin D oral anticoagulants; warfarin.
Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome, Italy.