The Tasmanian Atrial Fibrillation Study (TAFS): Differences in Stroke Prevention According to Sex

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 837-845
Author(s):  
Sophie M. Pilcher ◽  
Endalkachew Admassie Alamneh ◽  
Leanne Chalmers ◽  
Luke R. Bereznicki

Background: There are limited Australian data on sex differences in oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescribing in atrial fibrillation (AF) and ongoing debate regarding the optimal approach to stroke risk assessment and OAC prescribing in female patients with AF. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate sex differences in the prescribing of OACs in patients with AF stratified by stroke risk and in the rate of adverse outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to the Royal Hobart Hospital (Tasmania, Australia) with nonvalvular AF between January 2011 and July 2015 was conducted. Rates of antithrombotic prescribing according to sex and stroke risk were assessed along with a multivariate analysis for predictors of OAC prescribing. Rates of thromboembolism, bleeding, and all-cause mortality were assessed according to sex. Results: A total of 2090 patients were included (44.7% female). Women with a CHA2DS2-VA score ≥2 were less likely to receive an OAC compared with men (56.7% vs 62.2%, P = 0.023). Female sex was an independent negative predictor of OAC prescribing (adjusted odds ratio = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.69-0.99; P = 0.041). There were no sex differences in the incidence rates of thromboembolism, bleeding, or all-cause mortality in patients newly commenced on antithrombotic therapy. Conclusion and Relevance: Female patients with a high stroke risk were less likely to receive guideline-recommended treatment. This study provides new information on prescribing trends within the Australian setting and highlights the opportunity to improve the management of female patients with AF and 1 or more additional stroke risk factors.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.P Benz ◽  
S Aeschbacher ◽  
P Krisai ◽  
S Blum ◽  
P Meyre ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hospitalization for heart failure and death are among the most common adverse clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Purpose We hypothesised that inflammation, quantified by plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), is independently associated with hospitalization for heart failure and death in a large, contemporary cohort of AF patients. Methods Patients with established AF and 65 years of age or older were enrolled in two large, prospective, multicentre cohort studies in Switzerland. Plasma levels of high-sensitivity (hs) CRP and IL-6 were measured from frozen EDTA plasma samples obtained at baseline. Using these two biomarkers, we calculated an inflammation score ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point for each biomarker between the 50th and 75th percentile, 2 points for each biomarker above the 75th percentile). We constructed multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to quantify the associations of hs-CRP, IL-6 and the inflammation score with time to first hospitalization for heart failure and time to all-cause mortality, respectively. Results A total of 3,784 patients with AF (median age 72 years, 28% women, 24% with a prior history of heart failure and 84% anticoagulation use at baseline) were followed for a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 4.0 (2.9–5.1) years. The median (IQR) plasma levels of hs-CRP and IL-6 at baseline were 1.64 (0.81–3.69) mg/L and 3.42 (2.14–5.60) pg/mL, respectively. The incidence rates of hospitalization for heart failure and death were 3.04 and 2.80 per 100 person-years, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, both biomarkers were significantly associated with the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (per increase in 1 standard deviation [SD], adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11–1.34 for log-transformed hs-CRP, and aHR 1.48, 95% CI 1.35–1.62 for log-transformed IL-6) and death (per increase in 1 SD, aHR 1.40, 95% CI 1.27–1.54 for log-transformed hs-CRP, and aHR 1.67, 95% CI 1.53–1.81 for log-transformed IL-6). Incidence rates of hospitalization for heart failure increased from 1.34 to 7.31 per 100 person-years across categories of the inflammation score (Figure 1). A strong relationship persisted after multivariable adjustment. Similar findings were observed for all-cause mortality. Conclusions Inflammation is a strong predictor of hospitalization for heart failure and death in patients with AF. Targeting inflammation may be a promising treatment strategy to improve outcomes in these patients at high risk for adverse outcomes. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Swiss National Science Foundation


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinita Subramanya ◽  
J’Neka S. Claxton ◽  
Pamela L. Lutsey ◽  
Richard F. MacLehose ◽  
Lin Y. Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Women with atrial fibrillation (AF) experience greater symptomatology, worse quality of life, and have a higher risk of stroke as compared to men, but are less likely to receive rhythm control treatment. Whether these differences exist in elderly patients with AF, and whether sex modifies the effectiveness of rhythm versus rate control therapy has not been assessed. Methods We studied 135,850 men and 139,767 women aged ≥ 75 years diagnosed with AF in the MarketScan Medicare database between 2007 and 2015. Anticoagulant use was defined as use of warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant. Rate control was defined as use of rate control medication or atrioventricular node ablation. Rhythm control was defined by use of anti-arrhythmic medication, catheter ablation or cardioversion. We used multivariable Poisson and Cox regression models to estimate the association of sex with treatment strategy and to determine whether the association of treatment strategy with adverse outcomes (bleeding, heart failure and stroke) differed by sex. Results At the time of AF, women were on average (SD) 83.8 (5.6) years old and men 82.5 (5.2) years, respectively. Compared to men, women were less likely to receive an anticoagulant or rhythm control treatment. Rhythm control (vs. rate) was associated with a greater risk for heart failure with a significantly stronger association in women (HR women = 1.41, 95% CI 1.34–1.49; HR men = 1.21, 95% CI 1.15–1.28, p < 0.0001 for interaction). No sex differences were observed for the association of treatment strategy with the risk of bleeding or stroke. Conclusion Sex differences exist in the treatment of AF among patients aged 75 years and older. Women are less likely to receive an anticoagulant and rhythm control treatment. Women were also at a greater risk of experiencing heart failure as compared to men, when treated with rhythm control strategies for AF. Efforts are needed to enhance use AF therapies among women. Future studies will need to delve into the mechanisms underlying these differences.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinita Subramanya ◽  
J’Neka S. Claxton ◽  
Pamela L. Lutsey ◽  
Richard F. MacLehose ◽  
Lin Y. Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Women with atrial fibrillation (AF) experience greater symptomatology, worse quality of life, and have a higher risk of stroke as compared to men, but are less likely to receive rhythm control treatment. Whether these differences exist in elderly patients with AF, and whether sex modifies the effectiveness of rhythm versus rate control therapy has not been assessed.Methods: We studied 135,850 men and 139,767 women aged ≥75 years diagnosed with AF in the MarketScan Medicare database between 2007-2015. Anticoagulant use was defined as use of warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant. Rate control was defined as use of rate control medication or atrioventricular node ablation. Rhythm control was defined by use of anti-arrhythmic medication, catheter ablation or cardioversion. We used multivariable Poisson and Cox regression models to estimate the association of sex with treatment strategy and to determine whether the association of treatment strategy with adverse outcomes (bleeding, heart failure and stroke) differed by sex. Results: At the time of AF, women were on average (SD) 83.8 (5.6) years old and men 82.5 (5.2) years, respectively. Compared to men, women were less likely to receive an anticoagulant or rhythm control treatment. Rhythm control (vs. rate) was associated with a greater risk for heart failure with a significantly stronger association in women (HR women = 1.41, 95%CI 1.34-1.49; HR men= 1.21, 95%CI 1.15-1.28, p <0.0001 for interaction). No sex differences were observed for the association of treatment strategy with the risk of bleeding or stroke. Conclusion: Sex differences exist in the treatment of AF among patients aged 75 years and older. Women are less likely to receive an anticoagulant and rhythm control treatment. Women were also at a greater risk of experiencing heart failure as compared to men, when treated with rhythm control strategies for AF. Efforts are needed to enhance use AF therapies among women. Future studies will need to delve into the mechanisms underlying these differences.


Author(s):  
Youn-Jung Son ◽  
Da-Young Kim ◽  
Mi Hwa Won

Sex differences in the prognostic impact of coexisting atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients with heart failure (HF) have not been well-studied. This study, therefore, compared sex differences in the association between AF and its 90-day adverse outcomes (hospital readmissions and emergency room (ER) visits) among older adults with HF. Of the 250 older adult patients, the prevalence rates of coexisting AF between male and female HF patients were 46.0% and 31.0%, respectively. In both male and female older patients, patients with AF have a significantly higher readmission rate (male 46.0%, and female 34.3%) than those without AF (male 6.8%, and female 12.8%). However, there are no significant differences in the association between AF and ER visits in both male and female older HF patients. The multivariate logistic analysis showed that coexisting AF significantly increased the risk of 90-day hospital readmission in both male and female older patients. In addition, older age in males and longer periods of time after an HF diagnosis in females were associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission. Consequently, prospective cohort studies are needed to identify the impact of coexisting AF on short- and long-term outcomes in older adult HF patients by sex.


Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia J Howard ◽  
Suzanne E Judd ◽  
Abraham J Letter ◽  
Dawn O Kleindorfer ◽  
Leslie A McClure ◽  
...  

Background: There are strikingly few national data available to describe sex differences in age-specific stroke incidence. Methods: REGARDS is a national, population-based, longitudinal study of black and white participants aged > 45 years old, with oversampling of blacks and residents of the stroke belt. Between 2003 and 2007, 30,239 participants were enrolled and examined; follow-up is every 6 months by telephone for self- or proxy-reported stroke, with retrieval and adjudication of medical records by physicians. This analysis included 27,756 participants with follow up data who had no physician-diagnosed stroke at baseline. Stroke incidence rates were calculated as the number of stroke events divided by the person-years at risk with 95% confidence limits. Proportional hazards models were used to assess the race-specific association of sex with stroke risk by age strata (<65, 65–74, and 75+) after adjustment for socioeconomic factors, and Framingham stroke risk factors. Results: There were 613 incident strokes events over 135,551 person-years of follow-up. Stroke incidence rates increased with age (from 237/100,000 to 1003/100,000), and were higher in men than women in both blacks and whites (left panel of figure). After multivariable adjustment, men had higher risk than women at younger ages (<75) but for the 65–75 age group, the difference is larger for blacks than whites (right panel of figure). Discussion: These national data confirm the patterns in male/female stroke risk observed in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, with smaller sex differences at older ages, and for men, larger excess risk in whites than blacks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mariacarla Gallù ◽  
Giulia Marrone ◽  
Jacopo Maria Legramante ◽  
Antonino De Lorenzo ◽  
Nicola Di Daniele ◽  
...  

Sex-specific differences have been definitively demonstrated in cardiovascular (CV) diseases. These differences can also impact on the effects of CV therapies. Female sex is recognized as an independent predictor of thromboembolic risk, particularly in older patients. Most of strokes are due to atrial fibrillation (AF). Women affected by AF have higher stroke risk compared to men. The introduction of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for long-term anticoagulation completely changed the anticoagulant therapeutic approach and follow-up of patients affected by nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk scoring in use in the current international guidelines attributes 1 point to “female sex”. Besides, no anticoagulation is indicated for AF female patients without other risk factors. Interestingly, NOACs seem to normalize the differences between males and females both in terms of safety and efficacy, whereas residual higher stroke risk and systemic embolism persist in AF women treated with vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants VKA with optimal time in therapeutic range. Based on the CHA2DS2-VASc score, NOACs represent the preferred choice in NVAF patients. Moreover, complete evaluation of apparently lower risk factor along with concomitant clinical conditions in AF patients appears mandatory, particularly for female patients, in order to achieve the most appropriate anticoagulant treatment, either in male or in female patients. The present review was performed to review sex differences in AF-related thromboembolic risk reported in the literature and possibly highlight current knowledge gaps in prevention and management that need further research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Wilkinson ◽  
O Todd ◽  
M Yadegarfar ◽  
A Clegg ◽  
C P Gale ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in older people is increasing, as is frailty. Frailty describes an increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes, whereby the balance of risk and benefit associated with an intervention may be more nuanced. However, there are limited data from a community setting on the prevalence of AF and frailty in older people. It is important to understand the burden of AF and frailty, and the associated impact on mortality and stroke disease in order to inform shared decision making with patients, and also inform guidelines for this increasing group of older people. Purpose To estimate the prevalence of AF and the burden of frailty in patients with AF, in a large primary care dataset. To report stroke and mortality by frailty group. Methods We used electronic health records of 537,051 patients in England aged 65 years or older on 31/12/2015, with follow-up for all-cause mortality and ischaemic or unclassified stroke to 11/04/2017. Patients with a history of AF were identified using Clinical Terms Version 3 (CTV-3) codes. Frailty was identified up to the point of study entry using the electronic frailty index (eFI, the proportion of deficits out of 36 possible deficits), and categorised into robust (0–0.12), mild (>0.12–0.24), moderate (>0.24–0.36) or severe (>0.36) frailty. Median CHA2DS2-VASc and ATRIA scores for patients with frailty were compared with the robust group using Mann-Whitney. The association between frailty status, all-cause mortality and stroke was calculated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age and sex. Results Of the cohort, 61,177 patients (11.4%) had AF. Of those with AF, 27,987 (45.8%) were female, and 54,734 (89.5%) had frailty. 6,443 (10.5%) were classified as robust; 20,352 (33.3%) mildly frail; 20,315 (33.2%) moderately frail; and 14,067 (23.0%) severely frail. The median number of eFI-defined deficits among patients with AF was 9 (interquartile range [IQR] 6–12). Median stroke and bleeding scores were higher in those with frailty compared with the robust group (CHA2DS2-VASc 4 [IQR 3–5] v 2 [2–3], p≤0.001; ATRIA 4 [2–6] v 1 [0–2], p≤0.001). During 73,338 patient-years of follow-up, there were 6,805 (11.1%) deaths and 945 (1.54%) strokes. Compared with the robust group, all-cause mortality and stroke were higher with increasing frailty. Mortality: mild frailty hazard ratio 1.53 (95% confidence interval 1.29–1.80); moderate frailty 2.50 (2.13–2.94); severe frailty 4.26 (3.63–5.01). Stroke: mild frailty 1.36 (0.99–1.85); moderate frailty 1.67 (1.23–2.28); severe 1.99 (1.45–2.73). Kaplan-Meier survival curves by frailty Conclusion The prevalence of AF among those aged over 65 years in primary care in England is high, the majority of whom are frail. Increasing severity of frailty was associated with higher mortality and stroke rates. The extent to which the judicious use of oral anticoagulation may improve clinical outcomes for patients with AF and frailty is currently unknown. Acknowledgement/Funding CPG: Bayer, BMS, AstraZeneca, Novartis Vifor Pharma, Menerini


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W.Y Ding ◽  
M Proietti ◽  
G Boriani ◽  
F Marin ◽  
C Blomstrom-Lundqvist ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Current classification systems recommended by major international guidelines are based on a single domain of atrial fibrillation (AF): temporal pattern, symptom severity or underlying comorbidity. Lack of integration between these various elements limits our approach to patients with AF and acts as a barrier against the delivery of better holistic care. The 4S-AF classification scheme was recently introduced as a means for the characterisation of patients with AF. It comprises of 4 domains: stroke risk (St), symptoms (Sy), severity of AF burden (Sb) and substrate (Su). We sought to examine the implementation of the 4S-AF scheme in the EORP-AF General Long-Term Registry and effects of individual domains on outcomes in AF. Methods Patients with AF from 250 centres across 27 participating European countries were included. All patients were over 18 years old and had electrocardiographic confirmation of AF within 12 months prior to enrolment. Data on demographics and comorbidities were collected at baseline. Individual domains of the 4S-AF scheme were assessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc score (St), European Heart Rhythm Association classification (Sy), temporal classification of AF (Sb), and cardiovascular risk factors and the degree of left atrial enlargement (Su). Each of these domains were used during multivariable cox regression analysis. Results A total of 6321 patients were included in the present analysis, corresponding to 57.0% of the original cohort of 11096 patients. The median age of patients was 70 (interquartile range [IQR] 62–77) years with 2615 (41.4%) females. Among these patients, 528 (8.4%) had low stroke risk (St=0), 3002 (47.5%) no or mild symptoms (Sy=0), 2558 (40.5%) newly diagnosed or paroxysmal AF (Sb=0), and 322 (5.1%) no cardiovascular risk factors or left atrial enlargement (Su=0). Median follow-up was 24 months. Using multivariable cox regression analysis, independent predictors of all-cause mortality were (St) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 8.21 [95% CI, 2.60–25.9]), (Sb) (aHR 1.21 [95% CI, 1.08–1.35]) and (Su) (aHR 1.27 [95% CI, 1.14–1.41]). For cardiovascular mortality and any thromboembolic event, only (Su) (aHR 1.73 [95% CI, 1.45–2.06]) and (Sy) (aHR 1.29 [95% CI, 1.00–1.66]) were statistically important, respectively. None of the domains were independently linked to ischaemic stroke or major bleeding. Conclusion Overall, we demonstrated that the 4S-AF scheme may be used to provide clinical characterisation of patients with AF using routinely collected data, and each of the domains within the 4S-AF scheme were independently associated with adverse long-term outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and/or any thromboembolic event. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Dickow ◽  
H.K Van Houten ◽  
L.R Sangaralingham ◽  
P.A Friedman ◽  
D.L Packer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Early Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation for Stroke Prevention Trial (EAST-AFNET 4) demonstrated clinical benefit of early rhythm-control therapy in patients with recently diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) and concomitant cardiovascular conditions (CHA2DS2-VASc-Score ≥2) compared to the current practice of limited rhythm-control therapy to improve AF-related symptoms. Purpose To evaluate the generalizability of the EAST-AFNET 4 trial in routine practice, we assessed the proportion of patients who would have met trial eligibility and examined the association between early rhythm-control and clinical outcomes. Methods Using a large US administrative database, we identified 109,739 patients with newly diagnosed AF from July 28th, 2011 to December 30th, 2016, the enrollment period of the EAST-AFNET 4 trial. Eligibility for trial inclusion was assessed based on inclusion criteria. Eligible patients were classified as either receiving early rhythm-control, i.e AF ablation and/or any antiarrhythmic drug therapy, within the first year after AF diagnosis (N=27,106) or patients not receiving early rhythm-control (N=82,633). The date 12 months after the first AF diagnosis was defined as the index date and the start of the follow up period. Propensity score overlap weighting was used to balance patients on 90 baseline characteristics. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare early rhythm-control with no early rhythm-control for the primary outcome of a composite end point of all-cause mortality, stroke, or hospitalization with the diagnoses heart failure or myocardial infarction. Results Eligible for the trial were 72.9% (82,633/109,739) of all patients with newly diagnosed AF. Early rhythm-control therapy was associated with a reduction in the composite end point in the overall cohort of patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75–0.97; P=0.015) with largely consistent treatment effects between patients eligible or ineligible for the trial. The reduction of stroke risk associated with early rhythm-control therapy was found in the overall cohort (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.47–0.93; P=0.017) and in the trial-eligible cohort (HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.45–0.98; P=0.041). Conclusion In a large health care data set, the majority of patients with newly diagnosed AF were eligible for the trial. Early rhythm-control therapy was associated with a 15% reduction in the composite end point of all-cause mortality, stroke, or hospitalization with the diagnoses heart failure or myocardial infarction, with the greatest benefit in the reduction of stroke risk. The treatment effect was consistent between patients eligible or ineligible for the trial. Patients in routine practice had higher rates of adverse outcomes than the trial, but the relative risk reduction with early rhythm-control therapy was similar. These data demonstrate the potential of early rhythm-control therapy to reduce outcomes in patients with AF. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): German Heart Foundation (Mit Fördermitteln der Deutschen Herzstiftung e.V.)


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Meyre ◽  
R Gugganig ◽  
S Aeschbacher ◽  
D P Leong ◽  
S Blum ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim We investigated the prevalence of frailty, and the relationships between frailty and the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Patients with known AF were enrolled in a nation-wide observational cohort study in Switzerland. Information on medical history, medication, lifestyle factors and clinical measurements were obtained. The primary outcome was unplanned hospitalizations, secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, bleeding and stroke. The frailty index (FI) was measured using a cumulative deficit approach according to previously published criteria. Participants were divided into three groups (non-frail, pre-frail and frail) according to their FI at study entry. The association between frailty and clinical outcomes was assessed using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. Results We included 2369 patients with a mean age of 73±8 years (27.3% female). The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty was 10.6% and 60.7%, respectively. Frailty was associated with unplanned hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.59; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.78–4.63; p<0.001), all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 16.72; 95% CI 7.75–36.05; p<0.001), bleeding (adjusted HR 2.46; 95% CI 1.61–3.77; p<0.001), and stroke (adjusted HR 3.29; 95% CI 1.29–8.39; p=0.01) (Figure). Similarly, pre-frailty was significantly associated with unplanned hospitalization (adjusted HR 1.82; 95% CI 1.49–2.22; p<0.001), all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 5.07; 95% CI 2.43–10.59; p<0.001) and bleeding (adjusted HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.11–2.13; p=0.01), but not with stroke. Cumulative incidence of adverse events Conclusion In our cohort, more than two thirds of AF patients were either pre-frail or frail. These patients have a high risk of unplanned hospitalizations and other adverse outcomes, indicating that frailty is a powerful tool to predict adverse clinical outcomes in AF patients. Acknowledgement/Funding Swiss National Science Foundation; Foundation for Cardiovascular Research Basel; University of Basel


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