Is aspirin safer than a direct oral anticoagulant for patients with atrial fibrillation at high risk of bleeding?

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 25-26
Author(s):  
Alexander P. Benz ◽  
John W. Eikelboom
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1144-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Im Shin ◽  
Alex Secora ◽  
G. Caleb Alexander ◽  
Lesley A. Inker ◽  
Josef Coresh ◽  
...  

Background and objectivesAll randomized trials of direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation excluded patients with severe kidney disease. The safety and effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants across the range of eGFR in real-world settings is unknown. Our objective is to quantify the risk of bleeding and benefit of ischemic stroke prevention for direct oral anticoagulants compared with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation with and without CKD.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsWe created a propensity score–matched cohort of 3206 patients with atrial fibrillation and direct oral anticoagulant use and 3206 patients with atrial fibrillation using warfarin from October of 2010 to February of 2017 in an electronic health record (Geisinger Health System). The risks of bleeding and ischemic stroke were compared between direct oral anticoagulant and warfarin users using Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by eGFR (≥60 and <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2).ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the 6412 participants was 72 (12) years, 47% were women, and average eGFR was 69 (21) ml/min per 1.73 m2. There were 1181 bleeding events and 466 ischemic strokes over 7391 person-years of follow-up. Compared with warfarin use, the hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) of bleeding associated with direct oral anticoagulant use were 1.01 (0.88 to 1.17) and 1.23 (1.02 to 1.48) for those with eGFR≥60 and eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively (P-interaction=0.10). There was no difference between direct oral anticoagulant and warfarin users in the risk of ischemic stroke: HRs (95% CI) of 0.94 (0.74 to 1.18) and 1.02 (0.76 to 1.37) for those with eGFR≥60 and eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively (P-interaction=0.70). Similar findings were observed with individual drugs.ConclusionsIn a large health care system, patients with eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 who took direct oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation had slightly higher risk of bleeding compared with those on warfarin, but similar benefits from prevention of ischemic stroke.


2018 ◽  
pp. 104-114
Author(s):  
Rami N. Al-Ayyubi ◽  
Evgeny V. Merkulov ◽  
Andrey S. Tereschenko ◽  
Dmitry V. Pevzner ◽  
Natalia S. Zhukova ◽  
...  

The article dwells upon the various strategies for prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation. The main focus is put on the endovascular strategies for prevention of tromboembolism. In recent years, the endovascular strategies for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation, who have contraindications to oral anticoagulant therapy, are increasingly gaining popularity and find evidence of its safety for the prevention of thromboembolism. The patients with AF with a high risk of bleeding is the most interesting category for studying. The large studies confirm the effectiveness of non-drug prevention of thromboembolic events as compared to the anticoagulant therapy in these patients.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Piazza ◽  
Shelley Hurwitz ◽  
Brett Carroll ◽  
Samuel Z Goldhaber

Introduction: A perceived increased risk of bleeding is one of the most frequent reasons for failure to prescribe anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). We previously conducted a randomized controlled trial of alert-based computerized decision support (CDS) to increase prescription of antithrombotic therapy in 458 high-risk hospitalized patients with AF who were not being anticoagulated. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that patients with a perceived high risk for bleeding would have a similar HAS-BLED score and rate of major and clinically-relevant non-major bleeding. Methods: To determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients determined to be high-risk for bleeding, we analyzed the 248 patients in the alert group. Results: A perceived high risk of bleeding was the most common reason (77%) for omitting antithrombotic therapy. Median HAS-BLED scores were similar in these patients compared with those who were not deemed to have an increased bleeding risk (3 vs. 3, p=0.44). Despite being categorized as too high-risk for bleeding to receive antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention at the time of the alert, nearly 12% of these patients were ultimately prescribed anticoagulation over the ensuing 90 days. The frequency of major and clinically-relevant non-major bleeding was similar between the two groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, a perceived high risk of bleeding was the most common reason for failure to prescribe antithrombotic therapy after the CDS alert. History of a prior bleeding event or underlying bleeding disorder was not reflected in a higher HAS-BLED score. Implementation of an alert-based CDS with specific attention to assessment of bleeding risk and mitigation warrants further study to encourage adherence to evidence-based clinical practice guideline recommendations for stroke prevention in AF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 686-692
Author(s):  
O. V. Reshetko ◽  
A. V. Sokolov ◽  
N. V. Furman ◽  
V. V. Agapov

Aim. To study the changes that have occurred in the pharmacotherapy of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Saratov Region for 5 years by analyzing the antithrombotic therapy of patients who were admitted in a specialized department of the multidisciplinary hospital in Saratov in 2011-2012 and in 2016-2017.Material and methods. A pharmacoepidemiological retrospective study was conducted. The object of the study was the medical records of inpatients (Form 003/y) with the diagnosis “Atrial fibrillation” (ICD-X code I48), that consecutively admitted to the cardiology department of the multidisciplinary hospital in Saratov from January 1, 2011 to December, 31, 2012 (n=211) and from January 1, 2016 to December, 31, 2017 (n=227). Criteria for inclusion in the study: patients over 18 years of age, established diagnosis of non-valvular AF of ischemic genesis. Exclusion criteria from the study: non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, thyrotoxicosis, congenital heart defects, rheumatic heart damage, acute coronary syndrome, endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, pulmonary thromboembolism, the presence of prosthetic heart valve. Pharmacoepidemiological analysis was carried out for the drugs prescribed during hospitalization and given by doctors at discharge of patients from the hospital. The risk of ischemic stroke was assessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc score, and the risk of bleeding – according to the HAS-BLED score.Results. When analyzing the risk of ischemic stroke, it was found that 100% of patients in 2011-2012 years and 98.2% in 2016-2017 years had indications for the prescription of oral anticoagulants (OAСs). In 2011-2012 there were no patients with a low risk of stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc=0). High risk of bleeding (HAS-BLED≥3) occurred in 4.7% of patients in 2011-2012 and in 10.6% in 2016-2017, however, due to the high risk of stroke, the refusal to prescribe OAC in these patients was inappropriate in accordance with the recommendations for the treatment of AF. In the group of patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=0 in 2016-2017 antiplatelet therapy was prescribed in 100% at the hospital stage and at discharge, which contradicts the guidelines, according to which antithrombotic therapy is not recommended to patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=0. In patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=1, a low percentage of anticoagulants prescription was noted. In 2016-2017 OACs were prescribed only in 12.5% of patients at all stages of observation. In 2011-2012 OAC alone was prescribed only to 1 person (20%) at the hospital stage, which does not comply with modern guidelines for the treatment of patients with AF, according to which patients with a risk score CHA2DS2-VASc=1 are recommended to receive OACs in the absence of contraindications. OACs prescription in group CHA2DS2-VASc≥2 occurred only in 15% of patients in 2011-2012 and in a third of patients in 2016-2017 (p<0.05). The frequency of isolated use of OACs significantly increased in 2016-2017 compared to 2011-2012 mainly due to the increase in the spectrum of direct OACs (DOACs) (p<0.05).Conclusion. For 5 years there have been significant changes in the antithrombotic therapy of AF in the Saratov Region. The frequency of prescribing OACs according to indications has increased mainly due to the introduction of the DOACs into clinical practice. However, prevention of stroke remains insufficient.


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