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Prescription of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) requires an assessment of renal function (RF) and the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation is traditionally recommended. The objective of the study was to evaluate the potential changes in NOACs management using different equations for estimating RF. In a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation, we considered different equations: (1) CG for creatinine clearance (CrCl), (2) modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD), (3) CKD-EPI, (4) Berlin Initiative Study 1 (BIS-1) and (5) full age spectrum (FAS), for glomerular filtration rate (GFR). RF was classified according to CrCl in three categories: severely depressed (SD-RF) < 30 ml/min; moderately depressed (MD-RF) 30-49 ml/min; preserved/mildly depressed (P-RF) ≥ 50 ml/min. Concordances in the assignments were analyzed. A population of 402 patients (61.2% males, age 72 ± 11) was categorized according to CrCl: 12 patients (2.9%) as SD-RF, 81 (20.1%) as MD-RF, 309 (76.8%) as P-RF. A potential change in NOACs management could occur using GFR equations rather than CrCl in 16.9% of patients using MDRD formula, in 11.7% using BIS-1, in 14.7% using CKD-EPI and in 12.9% using the FAS equation. Important changes in RF estimates were more frequent in patients aged ≥ 75, but also BMI had a meaningful impact. Use of equations estimating GFR instead of the Cockcroft-Gault equation may result in changes in NOACs management in 12-17% of patients. In the elderly ≥ 75, more pronounced changes in RF classification are detectable according to different equations and NOACs dosing should be further investigated.

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