Optimal direct oral anticoagulant for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic submucosal dissection

Background: The patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are at high risk for developing ischemic stroke and delayed bleeding in upper gastrointestinal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). We aimed to identify the optimal DOAC based on both adverse events in upper gastrointestinal ESD. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan. We included patients on a DOAC undergoing upper gastrointestinal ESD between 2012 and 2021. The primary outcomes were ischemic stroke occurring after upper gastrointestinal ESD and delayed bleeding in gastroduodenal and esophageal ESD. Inverse probability weightings were applied to balance the four DOAC groups (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban), and logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the outcomes. Results: We analyzed 9729 patients on a DOAC undergoing upper gastrointestinal ESD. Ischemic stroke developed after upper gastrointestinal ESD in 1.4%, 0.7%, 0.6%, and 0.8% of patients taking dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, respectively, after weighting. Rivaroxaban and apixaban showed significantly lower risk of ischemic stroke compared with dabigatran (odds ratio, 0.15 and 0.12, respectively) in standard doses. The delayed bleeding developed after gastroduodenal ESD in 7.6%, 14.6%, 19.2%, and 17.3% of patients taking each DOAC, respectively, with the lowest risk in dabigatran, followed by rivaroxaban. A similar pattern was observed in delayed bleeding in esophageal ESD (3.2%, 5.4%, 7.5%, and 5.5% in each DOAC), but with no significant results. Conclusions: Rivaroxaban might be an optimal DOAC for upper gastrointestinal ESD showing a lower risk for both ischemic stroke and delayed bleeding.