Association between Acid-Suppressive Drugs and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Purpose Acid-suppressive drugs (ASDs) are often prescribed for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) taking oral anticoagulants (OACs). However, the risk-benefit balance of ASDs prescription for patients with NVAF taking OACs is still unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between ASDs and clinical outcomes in patients taking OACs for NVAF. Methods This study is a subanalysis of an historical registry study from 71 centers in Japan. We included patients taking vitamin K antagonists for NVAF and excluded those with mechanical heart valves or a history of pulmonary thrombosis or deep vein thrombosis. We registered consecutive patients in February 2013 and followed them up until February 2017. The primary outcomes were ischemic events, major bleedings, and all-cause mortality. Ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and hemorrhagic stroke comprised the secondary outcomes. Results We included 7826 patients with a mean age of 73 years, 5274 (67%) of whom were males. The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for ischemic events, major bleedings, and all-cause mortality in the ASD group compared with the no-ASD group were 0.998 (0.78–1.27), 0.98 (0.81–1.18), and 1.22 (1.02–1.47), respectively, while those for ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and hemorrhagic stroke were 0.96 (0.74–1.24), 0.82 (0.36–1.88), and 1.17 (0.69–1.99), respectively. Conclusions ASDs were significantly associated with all-cause mortality in patients with NVAF taking OACs.