The following trial hypothesis will be proved: In patients with atrial fibrillation and/ or pulmonary embolism standard anticoagulant treatment with coumadin/phenprocoumon is associated with accelerated coronary or valvular calcification as assessed by cardiac computed tomography compared to the new anticoagulant therapy with rivaroxaban.
A multi center, prospective, controlled, open, randomized, interventional clinical trial blinded concerning outcome measurements with a two- arm parallel group design will be performed to investigate the association of rivaroxaban compared to coumadin/phenprocoumon treatment for OAT in patients with atrial fibrillation and / or pulmonary embolism regarding the development and progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) as assessed by multi-slice spiral computed tomography scanning (MSCT) within one year follow-up. In total 190 patients (95 patients per treatment arm) with atrial fibrillation and/ or pulmonary embolism with the indication for oral anticoagulation therapy will be enrolled. After screening first cardiac CT scan will be performed in order to validate if calcium score is \>50 which is an inclusion criteria. If the patient matches all other inclusion/exclusion criteria the remaining imaging procedures (Echocardiography, Intima Media Thickness of carotid artery (IMT) and Flow Mediated Vasodilatation (FMD), Electrocardiography (ECG) and blood pressure are executed. Pregnancy strip test will be executed and also serum chemistry, hematology, coagulation and batch analysis will be performed. Patients will then be randomized to one of the two arms (Rivaroxaban or Marcumar) and will undergo the same examinations and measurements as described above at 1 week, 1, 6, 9 and 12 month Follow- Up (FU). In case of a positive result in respect to the primary endpoint a FU after 2 years will be performed. Primary outcome measures will be assessed after all active patients will have completed 12-months study visit (interim analysis)
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
192
Arm A: Rivaroxaban (tablet) for patients with atrial fibrillation: with 20 mg once daily for patients with eGFR \> 49 ml per minute and 15 mg rivaroxaban once daily for patients with eGFR of 15 to 49 ml. Rivaroxaban (tablet) for patients with pulmonary embolism : 2x a day 15 mg at day 1-21 and 1x 20 mg from day 22 ongoing; Arm B: Adjusted dose coumadin/phenprocoumon (tablet) titrated according to target international normalized ratio (INR) with a target range 2.0 to 3.0.
Hospital Coburg, Med. Clinic II for Internal Medicine and Cardiology
Coburg, Bavaria, Germany
University Hospital Aachen, Department of Cardiology
Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
St.-Antonius-Hospital Eschweiler, Internal Medicine
Eschweiler, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Progression of coronary and aortic valve calcification (Agatston, volume & mass score as assessed by cardiac CT)
To investigate the association of rivaroxaban compared to coumadin/phenprocoumon treatment for OAT in patients with atrial fibrillation and / or pulmonary embolism regarding the development and progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) as assessed by multi-slice spiral computed. tomography scanning (MSCT) within one year follow-up
Time frame: Cardiac Computertomography (CT) will be performed at screening, after 12 months and at 24 months
Serum chemistry including Matrix Gla Protein (MPG) level changes and Fetuin-A (baseline/ follow up)
Time frame: baseline and 12 month Follow Up
Changes in intima-media thickness of carotid artery (IMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation of brachial artery (FMD)
Time frame: Baseline, 6, 12 and 24 month FU
Progression of aortic calcification (aortic Agatston Score)
Time frame: screening and 12 month FU
Changes in ventricular diastolic function parameters as determined by echocardiography (strain/strain-rate imaging)
Time frame: baseline, 6, 9, 12 and 24 month FU
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