Long-term clinical outcomes after major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Fushimi AF registry

Abstract Aims Oral anticoagulants reduce the risk of ischaemic stroke but may increase the risk of major bleeding in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Little is known about the clinical outcomes of patients after a major bleeding event. This study assessed the outcomes of AF patients after major bleeding. Methods and results The Fushimi AF Registry is a community-based prospective survey of the AF patients in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Analyses were performed on 4304 AF patients registered by 81 institutions participating in the Fushimi AF Registry. We investigated the demographics and outcomes of AF patients who experienced major bleeding during follow-up period. During the median follow-up of 1307 days, major bleeding occurred in 297 patients (6.9%). Patients with major bleeding were older than those without (75.6 vs. 73.4 years; P < 0.01). They were more likely to have pre-existing heart failure (33.7% vs. 26.7%; P < 0.01), history of major bleeding (7.7% vs. 4.0%; P < 0.01), and higher mean HAS-BLED score (2.05 vs.1.73; P < 0.01). On landmark analysis, ischaemic stroke or systemic embolism occurred in 17 patients (3.6/100 person-years) after major bleeding and 227 patients (1.7/100 person-years) without major bleeding, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–3.23; P = 0.03]. All-cause mortality occurred in 97 patients with major bleeding (20.0/100 person-years) and 709 (5.1/100 person-years) patients without major bleeding [HR 2.73 (95% CI, 2.16–3.41; P < 0.01)]. Conclusion In this community-based cohort, major bleeding is associated with increased risk of subsequent all-cause mortality and thromboembolism in the long-term amongst AF patients. Trial registration https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm. Unique identifier: UMIN000005834. (last accessed 22 October 2020)

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Are Prolonged Ventricular Pauses in Atrial Fibrillation a Marker of Poor Prognosis?

Cardiology ◽

10.1159/000520183 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dorte Marie Stavnem ◽

Rakin Hadad ◽

Bjørn Strøier Larsen ◽

Olav Wendelboe Nielsen ◽

Mark Aplin Frederiksen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Pacemaker Implantation ◽

Real Life ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Long Term Prognosis ◽

Rate Limiting

Background: In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the long-term prognosis of long electrocardiographic pauses in the ventricular action is not well-studied. Methods: Consecutive Holter recordings in patients with AF (n=200) between 2009-2011 were evaluated, focusing on pauses of at least 2.5 s. Outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality and pacemaker implantation. Results: Forty-three patients (21.5%) had pauses with a mean of 3.2 s and SD of 0.9 s. After a median follow-up of 99 months (ranging 89-111), 47% (20/43) of the patients with, and 45% (70/157) without pauses were deceased. Pauses of ≥ 2.5 s did not constitute a risk of increased mortality: HR = 0.75; (95% CI: 0.34 - 1.66); p = 0.48. Neither did pauses of ≥ 3.0 s: HR = 0.43; (95% CI: 0.06 - 3.20); p = 0.41. Sixteen percent of patients with pauses underwent pacemaker implantation during follow-up. Only pauses in patients referred to Holter due to syncope and/or dizzy spells were associated with an increased risk of pacemaker treatment: HR = 4.7 (95% CI: 1.4-15.9), p = 0.014, adjusted for age, sex and rate-limiting medication. Conclusion: In patients with AF, prolonged electrocardiographic pauses of ≥ 2.5 s or ≥ 3.0 s are not a marker for increased mortality in this real-life clinical study.

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The optimal drug adherence to maximize the efficacy and safety of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant in real-world atrial fibrillation patients

EP Europace ◽

10.1093/europace/euz273 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 547-557 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Daehoon Kim ◽

Pil-Sung Yang ◽

Eunsun Jang ◽

Hee Tae Yu ◽

Tae-Hoon Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Myocardial Infarction ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischaemic Stroke ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Vitamin K ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Oral Anticoagulant ◽

Vitamin K Antagonist ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Optimal Drug

Abstract Aims To investigate the association between adherence to non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) and clinical outcomes and to determine the optimal cut-off level of NOAC adherence among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we identified 96 197 patients with non-valvular AF who initiated NOAC or warfarin in 2013–16. We compared clinical outcomes between adherent [proportion of days covered (PDC) ≥80%] vs. non-adherent (PDC <80%) NOAC users, and further with warfarin users. We assessed the outcomes according to different levels of adherence. The proportion of adherent NOAC users was 64.0%. Compared with non-adherent NOAC users, adherent NOAC users were at lower risks of ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism (SE) [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69–0.79], and myocardial infarction (aHR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72–0.93), whereas there was no significant risk alteration for major bleeding (aHR 1.01, 95% CI 0.91–1.11). Compared with warfarin, non-adherent NOAC use failed to have better efficacy against ischaemic stroke/SE (aHR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93–1.05) and rather had increased risk of myocardial infarction (aHR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03–1.25). In NOAC users, the risks of adverse outcomes decreased according to gradual increase of adherence rates with the lowest risks in ≥90%, except for major bleeding in which there were no significant associations. Conclusions In an adherence level-dependent fashion, adherent use of NOAC showed better clinical outcomes without increasing bleeding risk. Maintaining ≥90% of adherence optimizes effectiveness of NOAC therapy without compromising its safety.

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Sepsis associated new onset atrial fibrillation; risk factors and long term outcomes

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.0363 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

V Moosavi ◽

M Paymard ◽

R Ebrahimi ◽

T Harvey ◽

N Parkes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischaemic Stroke ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Rate Control ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Significant Difference ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

New Onset

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly encountered in the setting of systemic inflammation or infection. The optimal management of AF in this cohort and their long-term AF-related clinical outcome are unknown. Purpose The aims of our study were to evaluate the traditional and non-traditional AF risk factors and long-term AF-related clinical outcomes in patients who were diagnosed with new onset AF in the setting of sepsis. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we used the medical records to identify patients who were diagnosed with the new onset AF during hospitalization for sepsis at our centre between 2013 and 2017. The primary clinical outcomes included 24-month risk of ischaemic stroke, major bleeding (gastrointestinal or intracranial bleeding), the recurrence of AF and the all-cause mortality. The patients with known AF or those who died during the index admission were excluded from the analysis. Results 5598 patients were admitted to our hospital between 2013 and 2017 with sepsis. Of this cohort, 126 patients (mean age 69.7 years, 62.7% male) developed new onset AF during the index hospital admission (72.2% required ICU admission). 38 patients (30.1%) died during the initial hospitalisation while 88 patients (69.9%) were discharged from hospital (32% anticoagulated). 14 patients (16%) died within 24 months. Hypertension (59%), CKD (30%), diabetes (21%), and CCF (17%) were the most common risk factors. Mean CHA2DS2VASC score was 2.56±1.4 and mean HAS BLED score was 2.5±1.3. Mean CRP and WCC were 228±119 and 12.3±9.1 respectively. Comparing risk factors, only HASBLED score showed statistical significance on 24 months mortality (p=0.036, 95% CI 0.43–1.52). The composite incidence of all-cause mortality and ischaemic stroke was three times lower in anticoagulated patients compared with those who did not receive anticoagulation even though this did not reach statistical significance (7.1% v 21.6% respectively, p=0.07; RR=0.32; 95% CI=0.79–1.36). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for major bleeding events (3.5% v 3.3% respectively, p=0.68; RR=1.07; 95% CI=0.10–11.3). Rhythm and rate control therapies showed no significant difference on the composite outcome of all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke and recurrence of AF (28.0% v 28.9%, p=0.92; RR=0.96, 95% CI=0.49–1.88), however, there was a trend towards less recurrence of AF in patients who received rate or rhythm control therapies (12% vs 18% respectively p=0.44; RR=0.67; 95% CI=0.24–1.85). Conclusions Our study suggests that anticoagulation therapy in patients with sepsis associated new onset AF may decrease composite of all-cause mortality and ischaemic stroke without increasing major bleeding risk. Rhythm and rate control strategies did not decrease all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke or risk of recurrence of AF. These findings can provide benchmarks for design of randomized control trials. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

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Relationship between frailty and all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation: a report from the ESC-EHRA EURObservational research programme AF general long-term registry

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.2834 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

M Proietti ◽

M Vitolo ◽

S Harrison ◽

G.A Dan ◽

A.P Maggioni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Primary Study ◽

Funding Source ◽

Private Company ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Introduction Frailty is a major health determinant for cardiovascular disease. Thus far, data on frailty in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited. Aims To evaluate frailty in a large contemporary cohort of European AF patients, the relationship with oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescription and with risk of all-cause death. Methods We analyzed patients enrolled in the ESC-EHRA EORP-AF General Long-Term Registry. A 38-items frailty index (FI) was derived from baseline characteristics according to the accumulation of deficits model proposed by Rockwood and Mitnitsky. All-cause mortality was the primary study outcome. Results Out of the 11096 AF enrolled patients, data for evaluating frailty were available for 6557 (59.1%) patients who have been included in this analysis (mean [SD] age 68.9 [11.5], 37.7% females). Baseline median [IQR] CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED were 3 [2–4] and 1 [1–2], respectively. At baseline, median [IQR] FI was 0.16 (0.12–0.23), with 1276 (19.5%) patients considered “not-frail” (FI<0.10), 4033 (61.5%) considered “pre-frail” (FI 0.10–0.25) and 1248 (19.0%) considered “frail” (FI≥0.25). Age, female prevalence, CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED progressively increased across the FI classes (all p<0.001). Use of OAC progressively increased among FI classes; after adjustments FI was not associated with OAC prescription (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.98–1.19 for each 0.10 FI increase). Conversely, FI was directly associated with vitamin K antagonist (VKA) use (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.18–1.34 for each 0.10 FI increase) and inversely associated with non-VKA OACs (NOACs) use (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.77–0.88). FI was significantly correlated with CHA2DS2-VASc (Rho= 0.516, p<0.001). Over a median [IQR] follow-up of 731 [704–749] days, there were 569 (8.7%) all-cause death events. Kaplan-Meier curves [Figure] showed an increasing cumulative risk for all-cause death according to FI categories. A Cox multivariable analysis, adjusted for age, sex, type of AF and use of OAC, found that increasing FI as a continuous variable was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.40–1.73 for each 0.10 FI increase). An association with all-cause death risk was found across the FI categories (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.23–2.38 and HR: 2.88, 95% CI: 2.02–4.12, respectively for pre-frail and frail patients compared to non-frail ones). FI was also predictive of all-cause death (c-index: 0.660, 95% CI: 0.637–0.682; p<0.001). Conclusions In a European contemporary cohort of AF patients the burden of frailty is significant, with almost 1 out of 5 patients found to be “frail”. Frailty influenced significantly the choice of OAC therapy and was associated with (and predictive of) all-cause death at follow-up. Kaplan-Meier Curves Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Since the start of EORP programme, several companies have supported it with unrestricted grants.

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Long-term effectiveness of catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure

EP Europace ◽

10.1093/europace/euaa036 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 739-747 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michelle Samuel ◽

Michal Abrahamowicz ◽

Jacqueline Joza ◽

Marie-Eve Beauchamp ◽

Vidal Essebag ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Catheter Ablation ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

World Population ◽

Cox Models ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Aims Randomized trials suggest reductions in all-cause mortality and heart failure (HF) rehospitalizations with catheter ablation (CA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and HF. Whether these results can be replicated in a real-world population with long-term follow-up or varies over time is unknown. We sought to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of CA in reducing the incidence of all-cause mortality, HF hospitalizations, stroke, and major bleeding in AF–HF patients. Methods and results In a cohort of patients newly diagnosed with AF–HF in Quebec, Canada (2000–2017), CA patients were matched 1:2 to controls on time and frequency of hospitalizations. Confounders were controlled for using inverse probability of treatment weighting. Multivariable Cox models adjusted for the presence of cardiac electronic implantable devices and medication use during follow-up, and the effect of time since CA was modelled with B-splines. For non-fatal outcomes, the Lunn–McNeil approach was used to account for the competing risk of death. Among 101 933 AF–HF patients, 451 underwent CA and were matched to 899 controls. Over a median follow-up of 3.8 years, CA was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality [hazard ratio 0.4 (95% confidence interval 0.2–0.7)], but no difference in stroke or major bleeding. The hazard of HF rehospitalization for CA patients, relative to non-CA patients, varied with time since CA (P = 0.01), with a reduction in HF rehospitalizations until approximately 3 years post-CA. Conclusion Compared with matched non-CA patients, CA was associated with a long-term reduction in all-cause mortality and a reduction in HF rehospitalizations until 3 years post-CA.

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P4758Label adherence of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: A nationwide study

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehz745.1134 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

H T Yu ◽

P S Yang ◽

E Jang ◽

T H Kim ◽

J S Uhm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Vitamin K ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Oral Anticoagulants ◽

Vitamin K Antagonist ◽

Systemic Embolism ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Background Dose adjustment of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) is indicated in some patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), based on selected patient factors or concomitant medications. Purpose We assessed the frequency of label adherence of NOAC dosing among AF patients and the associations between off-label NOAC dosing and clinical outcomes in real-world clinical practice. Methods We evaluated 53,649 AF patients treated with a NOAC using Korean National Health Insurance Service database during the period from January 2013 to December 2016. NOAC doses were classified as either underdosed or overdosed, consistent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to investigate the effectiveness and safety outcomes including stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality. Results Overall, 16,757 NOAC-treated patients (31.2%) were underdosed, 4,492 were overdosed (8.4%), and 32,400 (60.4%) were dosed appropriately according to drug labeling. Compared with patients with label adherence, those who were underdosed or overdosed were older (71±8 and 75±7 years of age vs. 70±9 years of age, respectively; p<0.001), more likely female (39% and 53% vs. 38%, respectively; p<0.001), and had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores (4.6±1.7 and 5.3±1.7 vs. 4.5±1.8, respectively; p<0.001). NOAC overdosing was associated with increased risk for stroke or systemic embolism (5.76 vs. 4.03 events/100 patient-years, p<0.001), major bleeding (4.77 vs. 2.94 events/100 patient-years, p<0.001), and all-cause mortality (5.43 vs. 3.05 events/100 patient-years, p<0.001) compared with label-adherent use. Figure 1 Conclusion In routine clinical practice, a significant proportion (almost 2 in 5) of AF patients received NOAC doses inconsistent with drug labeling. NOAC overdosing is associated with increased risk for stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality in Asian patient with AF.

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P3781Prognostic impact of body mass index on mortality and its causes in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Fushimi AF Registry

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehz745.0630 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Y An ◽

M Iguchi ◽

M Ishii ◽

N Masunaga ◽

Y Aono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Obesity Paradox ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Community Based ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Background Obesity has been shown to be related to an increased risk for incidence and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). Meanwhile, the inverse association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality, so-called “obesity paradox”, is well-known among patients with AF, as well as other cardiovascular diseases. However, data regarding the relationship between BMI and specific causes of death in AF patients remain scarce. Methods The Fushimi AF Registry is a community-based prospective survey of AF patients in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The inclusion criterion for the registry is the documentation of AF at 12-lead electrocardiogram or Holter monitoring at any time. We started to enroll patients from March 2011, and baseline characteristics including BMI and follow-up data were available for 3,805 patients by the end of November 2018. Patients were categorized into 3 groups depending on the BMI value; underweight (<18.5 kg/m2; 419 patients), normal (18.5 to <25.0 kg/m2; 2,283 patients), overweight (≤25.0 kg/m2; 1,103 patients). Results In the entire population, the mean BMI level was 23.1±4.0 kg/m2. The lower BMI was associated with higher age (78.5±10.3, 74.0±10.3, and 71.3±10.9 years in Underweight, Normal, and Overweight, respectively; p<0.001) and with higher prevalence of various comorbidities and CHA2DS2-VASc scores (3.83±1.67, 3.43±1.70, and 3.29±1.64, p<0.001). Oral anticoagulants were less frequently prescribed in those with lower BMI (46%, 56%, and 58%, p<0.001). During a median follow-up of 1,464 days (interquartile range: 727–2,228 days), all-cause mortality was lower in accordance with higher BMI (14.3, 5.3, and 3.5 per 100 person-years, respectively; p<0.001). The proportion of infection as a cause of death was prominently higher in the Underweight group than the others (25.7%, 16.7%, and 13.4%, p<0.001) (Figure A). Furthermore, the mortality due to infection was consistently higher in Underweight than in the others in any of the age subgroups (Figure B). Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the BMI value for mortality, adjusted by age, sex, chronic kidney disease, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of major bleeding, and other components of CHA2DS2-VASc score. Higher BMI was related to lower all-cause mortality (per 5 kg/m2 increase: HR 0.71 [95% CIs 0.63–0.78], p<0.001), and also lower mortality due to infection (per 5 kg/m2 increase: HR 0.48 [95% CIs 0.37–0.61], p<0.001). Figure 1 Conclusions In a Japanese community-based AF cohort, obesity paradox was also observed on all-cause mortality. In particular, lower BMI was strongly associated with the mortality due to infection regardless of age. Acknowledgement/Funding Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer Healthcare, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo, Novartis Pharma, MSD, Sanofi-Avent

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Clinical outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation who refused anticoagulation: findings from the global GARFIELD-AF registry

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.0517 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

P Apenteng ◽

D.A Fitzmaurice ◽

S Virdone ◽

A.J Camm ◽

K.A.A Fox ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

High Risk ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Funding Source ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Patient Refusal ◽

Event Rates

Abstract Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a common cause of stroke and anticoagulation (AC) treatment reduces the risk of stroke. Reasons for patients with AF not receiving anticoagulation are generally attributed to the clinician decision, however in reality a proportion of patients refuse anticoagulation. The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with AF who refused anticoagulation. Methods The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD (GARFIELD-AF) was an international prospective observational study of patients ≥18 years with newly diagnosed AF and ≥1 investigator determined risk factor for stroke. We analysed two-year outcomes (unadjusted) of non-haemorrhagic stroke/systemic embolism (stroke/SE), major bleeding and all-cause mortality in patients at high risk of stroke (men with CHA2DS2VASc≥2 and women with CHA2DS2VASc≥3) who did not received anticoagulation due to patient refusal, patients at high risk of stroke who received anticoagulation, and patients who were not on anticoagulation due to reasons other than patient refusal. Results Out of 43,154 patients, 13,283 (30.8%) are at the higher risk of stroke and did not received anticoagulation at baseline. The reason for not receiving anticoagulation was unavailable for 38.7% (5146/13283); of the patients with a known reason for not receiving anticoagulation, 12.5% (1014/8137) refused anticoagulation. Overall the study participants had a mean (SD) age of 72.2 (9.9) years and 50% were female. The median (Q1; Q3) CHA2DS2VASc score was 3.0 (3.0; 5.0) in patients who refused anticoagulation and 4.0 (3.0; 4.0) in patients who received anticoagulation. The median (Q1; Q3) HAS-BLED score was 1.0 (1.0; 2.0) in both groups. Of the patients who received anticoagulants, 59.7% received VKA and 40.3% received non-VKA oral anticoagulants. 79.4% of patients who refused anticoagulation were on antiplatelets. At two-year follow up the rate of events per 100 person-years (AC refused vs AC received) were: stroke/SE 1.42 vs 0.95 (p=0.04), major bleeding 0.62 vs 1.20 (p=0.02), and all-cause mortality 2.28 vs 3.90 (p=0.0004) (Figure). The event rates in patients who were not on anticoagulation for reasons other than patient refusal were stroke/SE 1.56, major bleeding 0.91, and all-cause mortality 5.49. Conclusion In this global real-world prospective study of patients with newly diagnosed AF, patients who refused anticoagulation had a higher rate of stroke/SE but lower rates of all-cause mortality and major bleeding than patients who received anticoagulation. While patient refusal of anticoagulation is an acceptable outcome of shared decision-making, clinically it is a missed opportunity to prevent AF related stroke. Patients' beliefs about AF related stroke and anticoagulation need to be explored. The difference in all-cause mortality warrants further investigation; further analysis will include adjusted results. Event rates at two years of follow-up Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): The GARFIELD-AF registry is funded by an unrestricted research grant from Bayer AG.

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Abstract 14514: The Incidence and Natural Progression of New Onset Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.14514 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Marcella Meykler ◽

Sahar Abdelmoneim ◽

Emelie Rosenberg ◽

Bimal Patel ◽

Bharath Reddy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Cardiac Surgery ◽

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Natural Progression ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Af Recurrence ◽

New Onset

Introduction: New onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery that is associated with an increased risk for stroke and all-cause mortality. Long term data on POAF recurrence and anticoagulation remains sparse. We aimed to characterize the natural progression and recurrence of new onset POAF during a long-term follow up post cardiac surgery utilizing continuous event monitoring. Methods: This is a single-center, prospective observational study evaluating 42 patients undergoing cardiac surgery and diagnosed during indexed admission with new onset, transient POAF who were discharged in sinus rhythm between May 2015 and December 2019. Prior to discharge, all patients received implantable loop recorders (ILR) for continuous monitoring. Study outcomes were the presence and timing of AF recurrence (first and repeated AF recurrence), all-cause mortality and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Results: Forty-two patients [mean age 67.6± 9.6 years, 74% male, mean CHADS 2- VASc 3.5±1.5] were evaluated during a mean follow-up of 1.7 ± 1.2 years. AF recurrence after discharge occurred in 30 patients (71%). Twenty-four of these 30 patients (80%) had their first AF recurrence within the first month, 3 (10%) patients during months 1-12, and 3 (10%) patients beyond 1 year. Repeated AF recurrence occurred in 13 (43%) patients between 1 and 12-months. Beyond one year of follow-up, 5 (17%) patients had either their first AF recurrence (3) or repeated AF recurrence (2). During follow-up, there was one death ((-) AF recurrence) and two CVAs ((+) AF recurrence). Conclusions: In this study of continuous monitoring with ILR , the recurrence of AF in patients who develop transient POAF is common. Seventy percent of patients had either their first AF recurrence 6 (20%) or repeated episodes of recurrent AF 15 (50%) after 1-month post-operative follow-up.

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Digoxin treatment and long-term mortality depending on left ventricular ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation: a propensity score matched analysis

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.0502 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M.R Grubler ◽

N.D Verheyen ◽

A Meinitzer ◽

L Fiedler ◽

M Tscharre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Coronary Angiography ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Ejection Fraction ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Abstract Background/Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disturbance, associated with an increased risk of stroke, hospital admissions and mortality, especially in patients with reduced ejection fraction. Among the oldest medications used for heart-rate control is digitalis, but largely due to observational studies showing an increased risk of death it has fallen out of favour. Recently newer clinical trials reported that the treatment with digitalis in permanent AF might be superior to beta blocker therapy in regard to functional status and symptom burden. Given this diverging results we attempt to analysis a large cohort of patients facilitating a propensity score matching algorithm. Purpose To assess the associations of digitalis treatment with mortality in patients with increased cardiovascular risk. Methods Patients were derived from a large cohort study including participants from a tertiary care centre who were referred to coronary angiography. The propensity score matching is based on a predefined list of variables, with digitalis as treatment. Matching strategy is nearest neighbour matching and to prove consistency, radius matching (radius = 0.1). For survival analysis we used a Cox proportional hazard regression comparing patients with and without digitalis for all-cause mortality. The analysis is conducted using STATA 13 MP. All patients provided written informed consent and the study was approved by the ethics committee. Results A total of 2457 patients (median age: 63.5 [IQR = 56.3–70.6] years, 30.1% women) referred to coronary angiography, with a median follow up of 9.9 (IQR = 8.5–10.7) years were included. The matching process and the resulting propensity score fulfilled all statistical assumptions and resulted in a balanced cohort. The risk for all-cause mortality was higher among propensity score matched participants not treated with digitalis compared to patients on treatment (n=514) HR 3.03 (95% CI 2.5 to 3.7). Total mortality in patients with AF on digitalis after a median follow-up of 9.9 years was 27.6%. At baseline, only 42.4% of patients with AF were on oral anticoagulation. Conclusions In the present cohort treatment with digitalis was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality after long-term follow-up. The patient population has a clinically significant 10-year mortality risk. The results may not apply to other cohorts but may help inform future clinical trials. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

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