scholarly journals Oral anticoagulant therapy in atrial fibrillation older patients with previous bleeding

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Bo ◽  
Francesco Giannecchini ◽  
Martina Papurello ◽  
Enrico Brunetti

Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) with direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs) is the established treatment to reduce thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Bleeding risk scores are useful to identify and correct factors associated with bleeding risk in AF patients on OAT. However, the clinical scenario is more complex in patients with previous bleeding event, and the decision about whether and when starting or re-starting OAT in these patients remains a contentious issue. Major bleeding is associated with a subsequent increase in both short- and long-term mortality, and even minimal bleeding may have prognostic importance because it frequently leads to disruption of antithrombotic therapy. There is an unmet need for guidance on how to manage antithrombotic therapy after bleeding has occurred. While waiting for observational and randomized data to accrue, this paper offers a perspective on managing antithrombotic therapy after bleeding in older patients with AF.

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 2311-2311
Author(s):  
Sarag Burgess ◽  
Natalie Crown ◽  
Martha L Louzada ◽  
George Dresser ◽  
Richard Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2311 Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) is effective in preventing thrombotic complications in atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thrombosis but its use is associated with increased bleeding. Risk scores such as CHADS2 are used to predict thrombotic complications in patients with AF, but scores predicting bleeding are less studied. A number of bleeding risk scores (BRS) has been proposed, however they might have different predictive abilities and performance. Moreover, these scores aim to identify major bleeding (MB) but have not evaluated clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB). Recent guidelines advocate the use of scores to assess bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation being considered for OAT despite studies suggesting their limited utility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of 4 validated BRS for predicting MB and CRNMB. We conducted a retrospective, cohort study of consecutive patients enrolled in an academic OAT clinic between September 2008 and February 2011. Information regarding bleeding risk factors was collected for 4 BRS: Outpatient Bleeding Risk Index (OBRI; Beyth et al., Am J Med 1998), Contemporary Bleeding Risk Model (CBRM; Shireman et al., Chest 2006), HEMORR2HAGES (Gage et al. Am Heart J 2006), and HAS-BLED (Pisters et al., Chest 2010). Main outcomes were MB (Schulman J Thromb Haemost 2005) and a composite of MB + CRNMB (defined as overt bleeding that does not meet the criteria for MB but is associated with medical intervention, unscheduled contact, cessation of treatment, or associated with other discomfort (e.g. pain, impairment of daily activities). Incidence rates (IR) were calculated for each BRS and risk category. Correlation of bleeding risk categories among different BRS was assessed using the Kendall's tau-b coefficient. Predictive ability of each tool was evaluated using the C-statistic. Groups were compared using Fisher's exact, χ2, Mann-Whitney U, or Student's T tests. Hazard ratios (HR) for each score and risk category were estimated using Cox regression. We included 321 consecutive patients with a total follow-up of 319.2 patient-years. Mean age (SD) was 69.2 (13.6) years, 57% were males and 72.6% had AF. Overall IR for MB and MB + CRNMB were 3.7, and 11.2 events/100 patient-years, respectively. IRs for MB and MB + CRNMB separated by BRS and risk category are shown in Table 1 together with % of patients within each category. Overall, agreement among the 4 BRS was low to moderate with Kendall's tau-b coefficients ranging from 0.295 (OBRI vs CBRM) to 0.537 (HEMORR2HAGES vs HAS-BLED). C-statistics (95%CI) for predicting MB were 0.606 (0.435–0.777), 0.714 (0.548–0.879), 0.735 (0.583–0.886), and 0.672 (0.523–0.820), whereas those for predicting MB + CRNMB were 0.549 (0.452–0.645), 0.591 (0.489–0.692), 0.613 (0.517–0.709), and 0.587 (0.487–0.686) for OBRI, CBRM, HEMORR2HAGES and HAS-BLED, respectively. HRs for MB and MB + CRNMB are shown in Table 2. The best predictive ability for both MB and MB + CRNMB was for CBRM and HEMORR2HAGES. In conclusion, BRS classified bleeding risks differently. Predictive ability was moderate for MB and poor for MB + CRNMB. Overall, BRS are more helpful to identify patients at high bleeding risk, but they did not adequately identify patients at intermediate risk. Further studies assessing both MB and CRNMB are needed.Table 1.IR for bleeding eventsEvents/100 person-years (% patients in category)Score/OutcomeRisk CategoryMBLowIntermediateHigh    OBRI6.98 (16.2)2.63 (69.8)6.15 (14.0)    CBRM1.76 (70.1)6.62 (29.0)79.00 (0.9)    HEMORR2HAGES1.32 (48.9)3.71 (41.1)14.68 (10.0)    HAS-BLED0 (10.3)2.60 (60.1)7.38 (29.6)MB + CRNMB    OBRI9.3411.9714.68    CBRM9.6216.1279.00    HEMORR2HAGES8.2014.0620.94    HAS-BLED9.879.0718.91Table 2.HR for bleeding eventsMBMB+CRNBBleeding Risk ScoreHR95% CIpHR95% CIpOBRI    LowRefRef0.278RefRef0.798    Intermediate0.380.09–1.510.1691.290.45–3.690.636    High0.900.18–4.460.8951.520.44–5.220.503CBRM    LowRefRef<0.001RefRef0.007    Intermediate3.671.04–13.010.0441.790.92–3.480.085    High39.016.99–217.70<0.0018.712.02–37.520.004HEMORR2HAGES    LowRefRef0.008RefRef0.110    Intermediate2.770.54–14.280.2241.800.88–3.720.110    High10.942.12–56.420.0042.541.00–6.460.050HAS-BLED    LowRefRef0.212RefRef0.118    IntermediateNENE0.9490.970.28–3.290.959    HighNENE0.9431.910.56–6.520.302 Disclosures: Lazo-Langner: Pfizer Inc.: Honoraria; Leo Pharma: Honoraria.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Fujino ◽  
H Yuzawa ◽  
T Kinoshita ◽  
M Shinohara ◽  
H Koike ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) is effective for preventing strokes in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Currently, there is controversy regarding the discontinuation of OATs in patients with ablation procedures to eliminate AF. Aim We investigated the incidence of major bleeding and ischemic strokes/systemic embolisms in low-risk patients that discontinued OATs after successful AF ablation procedures. Methods Of 330 consecutive patients that underwent AF ablation procedures and were prescribed one of the direct oral anticoagulants or warfarin, 207 AF patients (158 men, mean age 61±11 years) who discontinued OATs three months after the procedure were enrolled. The average CHADS2 and HAS-BLED scores were 1.0±0.9 and 1.2±1.0, respectively, which meant that most patients had a low risk for strokes. Results During follow-up, 31 patients (15%) had recurrences of AF. Those patients underwent a re-ablation procedure and then re-discontinued their OATs three months after the session. During a 60±13 months follow-up, major bleeding was observed in five patients (2.4%) and was associated with a higher HAS-BLED score (2.2±0.4 vs. 1.1±1.0, P=0.027). In contrast, none of the patients experienced ischemic strokes/systemic embolisms. Conclusions This prospective study demonstrated that in patients with successful ablation procedures and low risk scores for AF management, OATs could be discontinued three months after the procedure. Unnecessary continuation of OATs may increase the incidence of major bleeding during the follow-up.


Author(s):  
Benita A. Bamgbade ◽  
David D. McManus ◽  
Robert Helm ◽  
Jordy Mehawej ◽  
Jerry H. Gurwitz ◽  
...  

Background Little research has evaluated patient bleeding risk perceptions in comparison with calculated bleeding risk among oral anticoagulant users with atrial fibrillation. Our objective was to investigate underestimation of bleeding risk and to describe the characteristics and patient‐reported outcomes associated with underestimation of bleeding risk. Methods and Results In the SAGE‐AF (Systematic Assessment of Geriatric Elements in Atrial Fibrillation) study, a prospective cohort study of patients ≥65 years with atrial fibrillation, a CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc risk score ≥2 and who were on oral anticoagulant therapy, we compared patients’ self‐reported bleeding risk with their predicted bleeding risk from their HAS‐BLED score. Among the 754 participants (mean age 74.8 years, 48.3% women), 68.0% underestimated their bleeding risk. Participants who were Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, Native American or Alaskan Native, Mixed Race or Hispanic (non‐White) (adjusted OR [AOR], 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24–0.82) and women (AOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40–0.95) had significantly lower odds of underestimating their bleeding risk than respective comparison groups. Participants with a history of bleeding (AOR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.73–5.44) and prior hypertension (AOR, 4.33; 95% CI, 2.43–7.72), stroke (AOR, 5.18; 95% CI, 1.87–14.40), or renal disease (AOR, 5.05; 95% CI, 2.98–8.57) had significantly higher odds of underestimating their bleeding risk. Conclusions We found that more than two‐thirds of patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulant therapy underestimated their bleeding risk and that participants with a history of bleeding and several comorbid conditions were more likely to underestimate their bleeding risk whereas non‐Whites and women were less likely to underestimate their bleeding risk. Clinicians should ensure that patients prescribed oral anticoagulant therapy have a thorough understanding of bleeding risk.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Bo ◽  
Enrico Brunetti

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias. Its incidence and prevalence increase with age, representing a significant burden for health services in western countries. The most feared consequence of AF is cardio-embolic stroke, accounting for roughly one third of ischemic strokes in the elderly. Oral anticoagulant therapy is currently recommended for patients with AF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 in men and ≥3 in women, but it is widely underused, particularly in the oldest patients who, in reason of their higher risk of stroke, might benefit more from it. Among the main reasons for anticoagulant underuse in older patients, advanced age itself, physician’s perceived high risk of age-related and fall-related bleedings, and difficulties in monitoring vitamin K antagonists-based therapies are the most frequently reported.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Bo ◽  
Enrica Grisoglio ◽  
Enrico Brunetti ◽  
Yolanda Falcone ◽  
Niccolò Marchionni

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