Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation

SJ Connolly; MD Ezekowitz; S Yusuf; J Eikelboom; J Oldgren; A Parekh; J Pogue; PA Reilly; E Themeles; J Varrone; S Wang; M Alings; D Xavier; J Zhu; R Diaz; BS Lewis; H Darius; HC Diener; CD Joyner; L Wallentin; E Palmcrantz-Graf; M Haehl; AMW Alings; JV Amerena; A Avezum; I Baumgartner; J Brugada; A Budaj; V Caicedo; L Ceremuzynski; JH Chen; PJ Commerford; AL Dans; G Di Pasquale; C Erol; J Ferreira; GC Flaker; MD Flather; MG Franzosi; R Gamboa; SP Golitsyn; JA Gonzalez Hermosillo; D Halon; H Heidbuchel; SH Hohnloser; M Hori; K Huber; P Jansky; G Kamensky; M Keltai; S Kim; CP Lau; JYF Le Heuzey; LS Liu; J Nanas; PS Pais; AN Parkhomenko; KE Pedersen; LS Piegas; D Raev; O Razali; TA Simmers; PJ Smith; M Talajic; RS Tan; S Tanomsup; L Toivonen; D Vinereanu; HC Diener; A Diehl; G Ford; M Robinson; J Silva; P Sleight; DG Wyse; J Collier; D De Mets; J Hirsh; E Lesaffre; L Ryden; P Sandercock; A Caccavo; L Cartasegna; CA Cuneo; MV Elizari; AJ Gabito; MA Hominal; AD Hrabar; IJ Mackinnon; MA Rodriguez; AS Sanchez; DR Vogel; DM Colquhoun; RG Lehman; BB Singh; JH Waites; F Gazo; A Podczeck; P Siostrzonek; JL Boland

Journal article

Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation

SJ Connolly, MD Ezekowitz, S Yusuf, J Eikelboom, J Oldgren, A Parekh, J Pogue, PA Reilly, E Themeles, J Varrone, S Wang, M Alings, D Xavier, J Zhu, R Diaz, BS Lewis, H Darius, HC Diener, CD Joyner, L Wallentin Show all

New England Journal of Medicine | MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOC | Published : 2009

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0905561

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Warfarin reduces the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation but increases the risk of hemorrhage and is difficult to use. Dabigatran is a new oral direct thrombin inhibitor. METHODS: In this noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned 18,113 patients who had atrial fibrillation and a risk of stroke to receive, in a blinded fashion, fixed doses of dabigatran - 110 mg or 150 mg twice daily - or, in an unblinded fashion, adjusted-dose warfarin. The median duration of the follow-up period was 2.0 years. The primary outcome was stroke or systemic embolism. RESULTS: Rates of the primary outcome were 1.69% per year in the warfarin group, as compared with 1.53% per year in th..

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