Abstract W P339: Anticoagulation Remains Underutilized in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Edmonton Registry of Atrial Fibrillation and StrokE (ERASE) Study
Background: Since 2010, three novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have been approved and included in the guidelines as alternatives to warfarin for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Prior to the introduction of NOACs, studies showed that anticoagulation with warfarin in stroke patients with NVAF is suboptimal with as few as 40% anticoagulated and most subtherapeutic. The goal of this study is to examine anticoagulation usage in a contemporary prospective registry of TIA/stroke patients with NVAF and determine whether the introduction of NOACs has increased anticoagulation usage. Methods: This is an ongoing single centre observational study. Consecutive TIA/ischemic stroke admissions (2012-13) to a tertiary hospital in Edmonton, Canada with NVAF were enrolled. Data regarding demographic, clinical, antithrombotic treatment and laboratory parameters were collected in a prospectively maintained database. Those with previously diagnosed NVAF were included in the present analysis (149/181). Clinical characteristics were compared between patients on anticoagulants and those on other/no antithrombotic therapy. Results: The 149 included patients had a mean (SD) age of 78.7 (10.0) years. Male were 52.3% and 86.6% (129) had a preadmission CHADS2 score ≥2. At the time of TIA/stroke, 51% (76/149) were on an anticoagulant, 24.2% (36/149) on antiplatelet agents and 28.4% (37/149) were on no antithrombotic therapy. Of the 76 patients on anticoagulants, 81.6% were on warfarin and the remaining (18.4%) were on a NOAC. Only 31% of patients on warfarin had a therapeutic INR at the time of stroke. Patients not anticoagulated had a similar frequency of prior stroke (21% vs. 23%; p=0.80) but tended to have a lower CHADS2 score (p=0.082) than those anticoagulated. In patients with CHADS≥2, 47% were not on an anticoagulant. Conclusions: Despite therapeutic advances in the treatment of NVAF, anticoagulation usage in TIA/stroke patients with preexisting NVAF remains suboptimal. In this study, only 53% of patients with NVAF and a CHADS≥2 were treated with anticoagulants. This study emphasizes the need for increased efforts to encourage prescribing of oral anticoagulants in high-risk individuals.