Dabigatran reduces mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation and obesity: Study

This work pointed out key outcomes; when compared to warfarin, dabigatran was linked with a lower risk of thrombosis and a higher risk of bleeding in AF patients with extreme obesity in a real-world clinical environment. Dabigatran was also associated with a lower risk of death when compared to warfarin.

This study found that dabigatran usage reduced composite thromboembolism by 29%, owing largely to a decrease in the transient ischemic attack. This research featured a longer follow-up time than most other real-world dabigatran studies, which likely allowed for greater capture of longer-term outcomes such as death. There were no correlations between composite outcomes and mortality in individuals with a BMI of 45kg/m2.

In conclusion, dabigatran was more effective than warfarin in lowering the risk of thromboembolism and death, although it was linked with an increased risk of bleeding in AF patients with extreme obesity. These findings are usually comparable to those found in non-severely obese AF patients, and they contribute to the evidence that dabigatran may be a viable choice for AF patients with severe obesity.

Reference:

Huang, C.-W., Duan, L., An, J., Sim, J. J., & Lee, M.-S. (2021). Effectiveness and Safety of Dabigatran in Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Severe Obesity: a Real-World Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-07114-8