BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are known to have a high risk of stroke and bleeding. We investigated the effectiveness and safety of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in octogenarian patients with non-valvular AF compared with warfarin.

METHODS A total of 687 octogenarian patients with AF who were administered NOACs (n = 403) or warfarin (n = 284) for stroke prevention between 2012 and 2016 were included. Thromboembolic (TE) events (stroke or systemic embolism), major bleeding events, and all-cause death were analyzed.

RESULTS The NOACs group (age 83.4±3.2 years, women 52.4%, CHA2DS2-VASc score 5.0±1.8) comprised 141 dabigatran, 158 rivaroxaban, and 104 apixaban users. Most patients from the NOACs group had been prescribed a reduced dose of medication (85.6%). During 14±18 months of follow-up periods, there were 19 TE events and 18 major bleeding events. Patients with NOAC showed a lower risk of TE (1.84 vs. 2.71 per 100 person-years, hazard ration [HR] 0.134, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.038-0.479, P = 0.002), major bleeding (1.48 vs. 2.72 per 100 person-years, HR 0.110, 95% CI 0.024-0.493, P = 0.001), and all-cause death (2.57 vs. 3.50 per 100 person-years, HR 0.298, 95% CI 0.108-0.824, P = 0.020).

CONCLUSION In octogenarian Asian patients with AF, NOACs might be associated with lower risks of thromboembolic events, major bleeding, and all-cause death than warfarin. Although most patients had received reduced doses, on-label use of NOACs was effective and safe.