Coronary disease & ACSSecondary analysis

Age-Stratified Effect of Rivaroxaban Monotherapy for Atrial Fibrillation in Stable Coronary Artery Disease

JAMA CardiolPublished

  • Secondary analysis of the AFIRE randomised trial
  • post hoc
  • open-label
  • multicentre
  • age-stratified

Authors' conclusion

Results of this post hoc analysis of the AFIRE randomized clinical trial reveal that rivaroxaban monotherapy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events and major bleeding across the broad range of age in patients with AF and stable CAD.

Study context

Population
Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) (PCI or CABG ≥1 year earlier, or angiographic CAD not requiring revascularization), Japan, 2015–2018; stratified by age (<70, 70–74, 75–79, ≥80 years)
Participants
2,215 patients
Comparison
Rivaroxaban monotherapy vs rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet therapy, by age
Primary endpoint
MACE:
  • Stroke
  • Systemic embolism
  • MI
  • Unstable angina requiring revascularization
  • All-cause death

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

MACE by age subgroup (incidence per patient-year)

Rivaroxaban monotherapy

3.2%

<70 years · 70-74 years 3.2% · 75-79 years 3.8% · ≥80 years 6.2%

Rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet

4.3%

<70 years · 70-74 years 2.8% · 75-79 years 5.3% · ≥80 years 10.3%

Rivaroxaban monotherapy vs Rivaroxaban plus antiplateletHazard ratio (95% CI)
<70 years
0.74(0.40–1.37)
70-74 years
1.16(0.55–2.45)
75-79 years
0.72(0.41–1.26)
≥80 years
0.61(0.40–0.93)

Safety

Major bleeding (primary safety end point), rivaroxaban monotherapy vs rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet, by age

Incidence, <70 years (monotherapy vs combination)
0.5% vs 2.3%
Incidence, 70-74 years (monotherapy vs combination)
2.2% vs 2.4%
Incidence, 75-79 years (monotherapy vs combination)
1.1% vs 2.1%
Incidence, ≥80 years (monotherapy vs combination)
2.9% vs 4.3%
HR, <70 years
0.23 (95% CI, 0.06-0.79)
HR, 70-74 years
0.91 (95% CI, 0.39-2.15)
HR, 75-79 years
0.52 (95% CI, 0.19-1.42)
HR, ≥80 years
0.67 (95% CI, 0.35-1.27)
  • P for interaction =.33
  • post hoc analysis

Original publication

Age-Stratified Effect of Rivaroxaban Monotherapy for Atrial Fibrillation in Stable Coronary Artery Disease. JAMA Cardiol. Published 13 August 2025. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2025.2611

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it