Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
In atrial fibrillation epilepsy risk differs between oral anticoagulants: active comparator, nested case-control study
Main finding · EpilepsyResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 1.39 95% CI 1.24–1.55Authors' conclusion
In patients with AF initiating oral anticoagulation, treatment with a DOAC was associated with an increased risk of epilepsy compared to the vitamin K antagonist PPC.
Study context
- Population
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients initiating DOAC or PPC, German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database, 2011–171,828 cases · 19,084 controls
- Participants
- 227,707 patients
- Comparison
- DOAC vs phenprocoumon
- Outcome
- Epilepsy on current oral anticoagulant treatment
Methodological detailsactive comparator
- Active comparator
Main finding
Epilepsy
Odds ratio
1.39
95% CI 1.24–1.55
DOAC vs PPC
OR 1.39 (95% CI 1.24–1.55)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Epilepsy in VTE cohort | 1.15 (0.98–1.34) | |
| 0.512Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Epilepsy, excluding patients with prior ischaemic stroke
- Risk of epilepsy still higher on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) than on PPC
Original publication
In atrial fibrillation epilepsy risk differs between oral anticoagulants: active comparator, nested case-control study. Europace. Published 4 April 2023. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it