Use of rivaroxaban attenuates renal function impairment in patients with atrial fibrillation: insights of the EMIR study

Background In atrial fibrillation (AF) patients on vitamin K antagonists, a progressive deterioration of renal function is common but there is limited evidence with long‐term use of rivaroxaban. Herein, we investigated the change in renal function in AF patients after 2 years of rivaroxaban treatment. Methods The EMIR registry is an observational and multicentre study including AF patients treated with rivaroxaban for at least 6 months prior to inclusion. Changes in analytical parameters were recorded during 2 years of follow‐up. Renal function was estimated using the Cockroft‐Gault equation. Results 1433 patients (638, 44.5% women, mean age of 74.2 ± 9.7 years) were included. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) was available at baseline and at 2 years in 1085 patients. At inclusion, 33.2% of patients had impaired renal function (CrCl