Abstract P005: Comparative Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban versus Warfarin for the Treatment of Patients with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Rivaroxaban is a novel oral anticoagulant approved in the US in 2011 for prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Information on risks and benefits among rivaroxaban users in real-world populations is limited. Methods: We used data from the US MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases between 2010 and 2013. We selected patients with a history of NVAF and initiating rivaroxaban or warfarin. Rivaroxaban users were matched with up to 5 warfarin users by age, sex, database enrollment date and drug initiation date. Ischemic stroke, intracranial bleeding (ICB), myocardial infarction (MI), and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding outcomes were defined by ICD-9-CM codes in an inpatient claim after drug initiation date. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between rivaroxaban vs. warfarin use and outcomes adjusting for age, sex, and CHA2DS2-VASc score. Separate models were used to compare a) new rivaroxaban users with new warfarin users, and b) switchers from warfarin to rivaroxaban to continuous warfarin users. Results: Our analysis included 34,998 rivaroxaban users matched to 102,480 warfarin users with NVAF (39% female, mean age 71), in which 487 ischemic strokes, 179 ICB, 647 MI, and 1353 GI bleeds were identified during a mean follow-up of 9 months. Associations of rivaroxaban vs warfarin were similar in new users and switchers; therefore we pooled both analyses. Rivaroxaban users had lower rates of ICB (hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.72 (0.46, 1.12))) and ischemic stroke (HR (95% CI) = 0.88 (0.68, 1.13)), but higher rates of GI bleeding (HR (95% CI) = 1.15 (1.01, 1.33)) when compared to warfarin users (table). Conclusion: In this large population-based study of NVAF patients, rivaroxaban users had a non-significant lower risk of ICB and ischemic stroke than warfarin users, but a higher risk of GI bleeding. These real-world findings are comparable to results reported in published clinical trials.

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Abstract 20218: Comparative Effectiveness of Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban versus Warfarin in Patients With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.130.suppl_2.20218 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽

Author(s):

Lindsay Bengtson ◽

Lin Chen ◽

Richard MacLehose ◽

Pamela Lutsey ◽

Alvaro Alonso

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Real World ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Oral Anticoagulants ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Intracranial Bleeding ◽

Gi Bleeding ◽

Pharmacy Claims ◽

The Us

Background: In randomized trials, the new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) dabigatran and rivaroxaban have been at least as efficacious as warfarin in the prevention of ischemic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Information on the effectiveness of NOACs versus warfarin in real-world populations in the US is more limited. Methods: We used data from the US MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases in the period 2010-12. We selected patients initiating oral anticoagulants after NVAF diagnosis, and with at least 6 months of enrollment before first anticoagulant use. Patients initiating dabigatran or rivaroxaban were matched with up to 5 warfarin users by age, sex, and time in the database. Outcomes of interest (ischemic stroke, intracranial bleeding, and gastrointestinal [GI] bleeding) were defined according to validated algorithms. Information on other comorbidities and medication use was obtained from inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy claims. High-dimensional propensity score-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the association of NOACs vs warfarin with each outcome of interest. Results: The analysis included 32,918 dabigatran, 3,301 rivaroxaban and 92,633 warfarin users with NVAF. During an average 13-month follow-up (6 for rivaroxaban, 15 for dabigatran), 1035 ischemic strokes, 225 intracranial bleeds, and 1842 GI bleeds were identified. Rate of ischemic stroke was similar in patients initiating NOACs compared to those on warfarin. However, rate of intracranial bleeding was lower in patients using NOACs compared to warfarin users, while GI bleeding rate was higher in dabigatran users than warfarin users (Table). Conclusion: In this large real-world patient population, effectiveness of NOACs (compared to warfarin) for diverse outcomes was comparable to efficacy reported in the RE-LY and ROCKET-AF trials.

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Effectiveness and safety of apixaban versus warfarin in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients in “real-world” clinical practice

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1160/th17-01-0068 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (06) ◽

pp. 1072-1082 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Xiaoyan Li ◽

Steve Deitelzweig ◽

Allison Keshishian ◽

Melissa Hamilton ◽

Ruslan Horblyuk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Real World ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Haemorrhagic Stroke ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Warfarin Treatment

SummaryThe ARISTOTLE trial showed a risk reduction of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients treated with apixaban compared to warfarin. This retrospective study used four large US claims databases (MarketScan, PharMetrics, Optum, and Humana) of NVAF patients newly initiating apixaban or warfarin from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2015. After 1:1 warfarin-apixaban propensity score matching (PSM) within each database, the resulting patient records were pooled. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) of stroke/SE and major bleeding (identified using the first listed diagnosis of inpatient claims) within one year of therapy initiation. The study included a total of 76,940 (38,470 warfarin and 38,470 apixaban) patients. Among the 38,470 matched pairs, 14,563 were from MarketScan, 7,683 were from PharMetrics, 7,894 were from Optum, and 8,330 were from Humana. Baseline characteristics were balanced between the two cohorts with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 71 (12) years and a mean (SD) CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3.2 (1.7). Apixaban initiators had a significantly lower risk of stroke/SE (HR: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.59–0.76) and major bleeding (HR: 0.60, 95 % CI: 0.54–0.65) than warfarin initiators. Different types of stroke/SE and major bleeding – including ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, SE, intracranial haemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other major bleeding – were all significantly lower for apixaban compared to warfarin treatment. Subgroup analyses (apixaban dosage, age strata, CHA2DS2-VASc or HAS-BLED score strata, or dataset source) all show consistently lower risks of stroke/SE and major bleeding associated with apixaban as compared to warfarin treatment. This is the largest “real-world” study on apixaban effectiveness and safety to date, showing that apixaban initiation was associated with significant risk reductions in stroke/SE and major bleeding compared to warfarin initiation after PSM. These benefits were consistent across various high-risk subgroups and both the standard-and low-dose apixaban dose regimens.Note: The review process for this manuscript was fully handled by Christian Weber, Editor in Chief.Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.

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Physical activity types and atrial fibrillation risk in the middle-aged and elderly: The Rotterdam Study

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ◽

10.1177/2047487318780031 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 1316-1323 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Marijn Albrecht ◽

Chantal M Koolhaas ◽

Josje D Schoufour ◽

Frank JA van Rooij ◽

M Kavousi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Total Physical Activity ◽

Rotterdam Study ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Activity Types ◽

Study Population

Background The association between physical activity and atrial fibrillation remains controversial. Physical activity has been associated with a higher and lower atrial fibrillation risk. These inconsistent results might be related to the type of physical activity. We aimed to investigate the association of total and types of physical activity, including walking, cycling, domestic work, gardening and sports, with atrial fibrillation. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Our study was performed in the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based cohort. We included 7018 participants aged 55 years and older with information on physical activity between 1997–2001. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of physical activity with atrial fibrillation risk. Models were adjusted for biological and behavioural risk factors and the remaining physical activity types. Physical activity was categorised in tertiles and the low group was used as reference. Results During 16.8 years of follow-up (median: 12.3 years, interquartile range: 8.7–15.9 years), 800 atrial fibrillation events occurred (11.4% of the study population). We observed no association between total physical activity and atrial fibrillation risk in any model. After adjustment for confounders, the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for the high physical activity category compared to the low physical activity category was: 0.71 (0.80–1.14) for total physical activity. We did not observe a significant association between any of the physical activity types with atrial fibrillation risk. Conclusion Our results suggest that physical activity is not associated with higher or lower risk of atrial fibrillation in older adults. Neither total physical activity nor any of the included physical activity types was associated with atrial fibrillation risk.

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Comparison of the real-world adherence and compliance patterns with trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) and regorafenib (REG) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.666 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 666-666

Author(s):

Anuj K. Patel ◽

Mei Sheng Duh ◽

Victoria Barghout ◽

Mihran Ara Yenikomshian ◽

Yongling Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real World ◽

Index Date ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Medication Possession Ratio ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Clinical Activity ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

The Us ◽

Before And After ◽

Observation Period

666 Background: FTD/TPI and REG both prolong survival in refractory mCRC and have similar indications with different side effect profiles. This study compares real-world treatment patterns with FTD/TPI and REG for mCRC in a large, representative US claims database. Methods: Retrospective data from 10/2014 to 7/2016 from the US Symphony Health Solutions’ Integrated Dataverse (IDV®) database were analyzed for patients receiving FTD/TPI or REG. The index date was the date of first FTD/TPI or REG prescription. Patients were included if: 1) age ≥18 years old, 2) ≥1 CRC diagnosis, 3) no diagnosis of gastric cancer or gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and 4) continuous clinical activity for ≥3 months before and after index date. The observation period spanned from index date to end of data, end of continuous clinical activity, or switch to another mCRC treatment. Adherence was assessed using medication possession ratio (MPR) ≥0.80 and proportion of days covered (PDC) ≥0.80 at 3 months. Compliance was assessed using time to discontinuation over the observation period using allowable gaps of 45, 60, or 90 days. Patients who never discontinued therapy were censored at the end of the observation period. Outcomes were compared between FTD/TPI and REG using multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for demographic and clinical baseline characteristics. Results: A total of 1,630 FTD/TPI patients and 1,425 REG patients were identified. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of FTD/TPI patients was 61.0 ± 11.0 compared to 62.8 ± 10.9 for REG patients (p < 0.001). FTD/TPI patients were 80% more likely to have a MPR ≥0.80 compared to those on REG (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.80, p < 0.001) and more than twice as likely to have a PDC ≥0.80 (OR = 2.66, p < 0.001) at 3 months. FTD/TPI patients were 37% less likely to discontinue their treatment compared to those on REG when using gaps of 60 days (Hazard Ratio = 0.63, p < 0.001). Similar results were found with 45 and 90 days. Conclusions: In this retrospective study of mCRC patients, patients on FTD/TPI were significantly more likely to adhere and comply with therapy compared to those on REG.

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Real-World Management and Clinical Outcomes of Stroke Survivors With Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Cohort in Spain

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.789783 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Clara L. Rodríguez-Bernal ◽

Francisco Sanchez-Saez ◽

Daniel Bejarano-Quisoboni ◽

Judit Riera-Arnau ◽

Gabriel Sanfélix-Gimeno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Real World ◽

Large Population ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Population Based ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Gi Bleeding ◽

Management Pattern ◽

Time To Treatment

Objective: Despite the continuous update of clinical guidelines, little is known about the real-world management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who survived a stroke. We aimed to assess patterns of therapeutic management of stroke survivors with AF and clinical outcomes using data from routine practice in a large population-based cohort.Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study of all patients with AF who survived a stroke, from January 2010 to December 2017 in the Valencia region, Spain (n = 10,986), was carried out. Treatment strategies and mean time to treatment initiation are described. Temporal trends are shown by the management pattern during the study period. Factors associated with each pattern (including no treatment) vs. oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment were identified using logistic multivariate regression models. Incidence rates of clinical outcomes (mortality, stroke/TIA, GI bleeding, and ACS) were also estimated by the management pattern.Results: Among stroke survivors with AF, 6% were non-treated, 23% were prescribed antiplatelets (APT), 54% were prescribed OAC, and 17% received OAC + APT at discharge. Time to treatment was 8.0 days (CI 7.6–8.4) for APT, 9.86 (CI 9.52–10.19) for OAC, and 16.47 (CI 15.86–17.09) for OAC + APT. Regarding temporal trends, management with OAC increased by 20%, with a decrease of 50% for APT during the study period. No treatment and OAC + APT remained relatively stable. The strongest predictor of no treatment and APT treatment was having the same management strategy pre-stroke. Those treated with APT had the highest rates of GI bleeding and recurrent stroke/TIA, and untreated patients showed the highest rates of mortality.Conclusion: In this large population-based cohort using real-world data, nearly 30% of AF patients who suffered a stroke were untreated or treated with APT, which overall is not recommended. Treatment was started within 2 weeks as recommended, except for OAC + APT, which was started later. The strong association of APT treatment or non-treatment with the same treatment strategy before stroke occurrence suggests a strong therapeutic inertia and opposes recommendations. Patients under these two strategies had the highest rates of adverse outcomes. An inadequate prescription poses a great risk on patients with AF and stroke; thus monitoring their management is necessary and should be setting-specific.

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Artificial Intelligence–Electrocardiography to Predict Incident Atrial Fibrillation

Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology ◽

10.1161/circep.120.009355 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Georgios Christopoulos ◽

Jonathan Graff-Radford ◽

Camden L. Lopez ◽

Xiaoxi Yao ◽

Zachi I. Attia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Model Output ◽

Genomic Epidemiology ◽

Logit Transformation ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models

Background: An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm applied to electrocardiography during sinus rhythm has recently been shown to detect concurrent episodic atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to characterize the value of AI–enabled electrocardiography (AI-ECG) as a predictor of future AF and assess its performance compared with the CHARGE-AF score (Cohorts for Aging and Research in Genomic Epidemiology–AF) in a population-based sample. Methods: We calculated the probability of AF using AI-ECG, among participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who had no history of AF at the time of the baseline study visit. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to assess the independent prognostic value and interaction between AI-ECG AF model output and CHARGE-AF score. C statistics were calculated for AI-ECG AF model output, CHARGE-AF score, and combined AI-ECG and CHARGE-AF score. Results: A total of 1936 participants with median age 75.8 (interquartile range, 70.4–81.8) years and median CHARGE-AF score 14.0 (IQR, 13.2–14.7) were included in the analysis. Participants with AI-ECG AF model output of >0.5 at the baseline visit had cumulative incidence of AF 21.5% at 2 years and 52.2% at 10 years. When included in the same model, both AI-ECG AF model output (hazard ratio, 1.76 per SD after logit transformation [95% CI, 1.51–2.04]) and CHARGE-AF score (hazard ratio, 1.90 per SD [95% CI, 1.58–2.28]) independently predicted future AF without significant interaction ( P =0.54). C statistics were 0.69 (95% CI, 0.66–0.72) for AI-ECG AF model output, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.66–0.71) for CHARGE-AF, and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.69–0.75) for combined AI-ECG and CHARGE-AF score. Conclusions: In the present study, both the AI-ECG AF model output and CHARGE-AF score independently predicted incident AF. The AI-ECG may offer a means to assess risk with a single test and without requiring manual or automated clinical data abstraction.

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Lower values of a novel index of Vagal-Neuroimmunomodulation are associated to higher all-cause mortality in two large general population samples with 18 year follow up

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82168-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marc N. Jarczok ◽

Julian Koenig ◽

Julian F. Thayer

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Studies ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

All Cause Mortality

AbstractIn recent clinical practice, a biomarker of vagal neuroimmunomodulation (NIM), namely the ratio of vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and CRP, was proposed to index the functionality of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. This study aims to transfer and extend the previous findings to two general population-based samples to explore the hypothesis that NIM-ratio is associated with all-cause mortality. Two large population studies (MIDUS 2: N = 1255 and Whitehall II wave 5: N = 7870) with complete data from a total of N = 3860 participants (36.1% females; average age = 56.3 years; 11.1% deaths, last exit 18.1 years post inclusion) were available. NIM indices were calculated using the vagally-mediated HRV measure RMSSD divided by measures of CRP (NIMCRP) or IL-6 (NIMIL6). The NIM-ratios were quartiled and entered into age, ethnicity and body mass index adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. For NIMIL6 the lowest quartile was 45% more likely to die during the observed period (max. 18 years follow-up) compared to the highest quartile (HR = 0.55 CI 0.41–0.73; p < .0001). NIMCRP parallel these results. Here we show that an easily computable index of IL-6 inhibition is associated with all-cause mortality in two large general population samples. These results suggest that this index might be useful for risk stratification and warrant further examination.

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Chronic kidney disease and risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure in general population-based cohorts – the BiomarCaRE project

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.0449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M Rehm ◽

D Rothenbacher ◽

L Iacoviello ◽

S Costanzo ◽

H Tunstall-Pedoe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

General Population ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a complicated relationship with the heart, leading to many adverse outcomes. Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between CKD and the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) along with mortality as a competing risk in general population cohorts. Methods This study was conducted as part of the BiomarCaRE project using harmonised data from 12 population-based cohorts (n=40,212) from Europe. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) for the incidence of AF and HF in CKD and with competing mortality risk after adjusting for covariates. Results Mean age at baseline was 51.1 (standard deviation 11.9) years, and 49.3% were men. Overall, 3.5% had CKD at baseline. The rate for incident AF was 3.9 per 1000 person-years during follow-up. The HR for AF for those with CKD compared with those without was 1.23 (95% CI 1.00–1.52, p=0.0465) after adjustment for covariates. The rate for incident HF was 3.9 per 1000 person-years and the associated risk in the presence of CKD was HR 1.67 (95% CI 1.39–2.01). In subjects with CKD, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) showed an association with AF, while NT-proBNP and C-reactive protein (CRP) showed an association with HF. Conclusion CKD is an independent risk factor for subsequent AF and even more so for HF. In patients with CKD, NT-proBNP was clearly associated with subsequent risk of AF. In addition to this marker, hs-CRP was also associated with risk of subsequent HF. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): 7th framework programme collaborative project, grant agreement no. HEALTH-F2-2011_278913. Atrial Fibrillation and HF in CKD

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Stroke, Timing of Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis, and Risk of Death

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000011633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 96 (12) ◽

pp. e1655-e1662

Author(s):

Anjali Bhatla ◽

Yuliya Borovskiy ◽

Ronit Katz ◽

Matthew C. Hyman ◽

Parin J. Patel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Inception Cohort ◽

Stroke Event ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Multivariable Adjustment

ObjectiveTo evaluate the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke according to the timing of an atrial fibrillation (AF) diagnosis, we created an inception cohort of incident stroke events and compared the risk of death between patients with stroke with (1) sinus rhythm, (2) known AF (KAF), and (3) AF diagnosed after stroke (AFDAS).MethodsWe used the Penn AF Free study to create an inception cohort of patients with incident stroke. Mortality events were identified after linkage with the National Death Index through June 30, 2017. We also evaluated initiation of anticoagulants and antiplatelets across the study duration. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated associations between stroke subtypes and death.ResultsWe identified 1,489 individuals who developed an incident ischemic stroke event: 985 did not develop AF at any point during the study period, 215 had KAF before stroke, 160 had AF detected ≤6 months after stroke, and 129 had AF detected >6 months after stroke. After a median follow-up of 4.9 years (interquartile range 1.9–6.8), 686 deaths occurred. The annualized mortality rate was 8.8% in the stroke, no AF group; 12.2% in the KAF group; 15.8% in the AFDAS ≤6 months group; and 12.7% in the AFDAS >6 months group. Patients in the AFDAS ≤6 months group had the highest independent risk of all-cause mortality even after multivariable adjustment for demographics, clinical risk factors, and the use of antithrombotic therapies (hazard ratio 1.62 [1.22–2.14]). Compared to the stroke, no AF group, those with KAF had a higher mortality risk that was rendered nonsignificant after adjustment.ConclusionsThe AFDAS group had the highest risk of death, which was not explained by comorbidities or use of antithrombotic therapies.

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Burden of major gastrointestinal bleeding among oral anticoagulant-treated non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients

Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology ◽

10.1177/1756284821997352 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 175628482199735

Author(s):

Steven Deitelzweig ◽

Allison Keshishian ◽

Amiee Kang ◽

Amol D. Dhamane ◽

Xuemei Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Major Bleeding ◽

Oral Anticoagulant ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Bleeding Event ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

High Rate ◽

Gi Bleeding ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Gi Bleed

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is the most common type of major bleeding associated with oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment. Patients with major bleeding are at an increased risk of a stroke if an OAC is not reinitiated. Methods: Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients initiating OACs were identified from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS) Medicare data and four US commercial claims databases. Patients who had a major GI bleeding event (hospitalization with primary diagnosis of GI bleeding) while on an OAC were selected. A control cohort of patients without a major GI bleed during OAC treatment was matched to major GI bleeding patients using propensity scores. Stroke/systemic embolism (SE), major bleeding, and mortality (in the CMS population) were examined using Cox proportional hazards models with robust sandwich estimates. Results: A total of 15,888 patients with major GI bleeding and 833,052 patients without major GI bleeding were included in the study. Within 90 days of the major GI bleed, 58% of patients discontinued the initial OAC treatment. Patients with a major GI bleed had a higher risk of stroke/SE [hazard ratio (HR): 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42–1.74], major bleeding (HR: 2.79, 95% CI: 2.64–2.95), and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.23–1.36) than patients without a major GI bleed. Conclusion: Patients with a major GI bleed on OAC had a high rate of OAC discontinuation and significantly higher risk of stroke/SE, major bleeding, and mortality after hospital discharge than those without. Effective management strategies are needed for patients with risk factors for major GI bleeding.

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