Among Atrial Fibrillation Patients Research Articles

Echocardiographic Parameters of Left Atrial Structure and Function and Clinical Outcomes at 2 Years in Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation - The ANAFIE Echocardiographic Substudy.

This prospective ANAFIE Registry substudy investigated the relationship between the echocardiographic parameters of left atrial (LA) structure and function and clinical outcomes at 2 years among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients aged ≥75 years.Methods and Results: Outcomes of 1,474 elderly non-valvular AF (NVAF) patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography at baseline were analyzed by categories of maximum LA volume index (max. LAVi) and LA emptying fraction (LAEF) total. Baseline mean±standard deviation LAEF total and max. LAVi were 28.2±14.9% and 54.2±25.9 mL/m2, respectively. Proportions of oral anticoagulant (OAC), direct OAC, and warfarin use were 92.7%, 68.7%, and 24.0%, respectively. Patients with LAEF total ≤45.0% (n=1,213) vs. >45.0% (n=224) were at higher risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.19, P=0.021) and heart failure (HF) hospitalization (HR: 2.25, P=0.045). Risk of all-cause death was higher with max. LAVi >48.0 mL/m2(n=656) vs. ≤48.0 mL/m2(n=621) (HR: 1.69, P=0.048). Subgroups with abnormal LA function and structure had increased incidence of cardiac/cardiovascular events and HF hospitalization. No significant interaction was observed between echocardiographic parameters and OAC type. Elderly Japanese patients with NVAF and LAEF total ≤45.0% were at higher risk of cardiovascular events and HF hospitalization, and those with max. LAVi >48.0 mL/m2were at higher risk of all-cause death.

Comprehensive atrial fibrillation package of care to minimise unnecessary hospital admission and improve patient outcome: a quality improvement project

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements None. Introduction Recent studies have highlighted an increasing rate of hospitalisation among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, despite a relatively low in-hospital mortality rate. This trend carries significant financial implications, with a twofold increase in AF-related expenditures, over 50% of which are associated with inpatient care. Purpose A Quality Improvement Project (QIP) was conducted to enhance AF care, reduce unnecessary admissions, and address the root causes driving increased hospitalisations. Methods The root cause analysis, illustrated in Figure 1, revealed four factors contributing to the increased hospital admission rate of newly diagnosed AF patients: systemic issues, the nature of the disease itself, patient and physician-related factors. The driver diagram (Figure 2) visually presented the primary and secondary drivers with corresponding interventions targeting potential areas for improvement. Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle was conducted using four-pronged approach: 1. Updating local guidelines and designing a stepwise algorithm to align with contemporary standards of care. 2. Establishing an ambulatory care/arrhythmia clinic referral pathway for follow-up of stable AF patients to ensure continuity of care, thus minimizing unnecessary admissions. 3. Implementing a safe discharge toolkit comprising patient education materials, a poster for stroke and bleeding risk assessment tools, and an anticoagulation checklist. 4. Incorporating AF management teaching sessions into the doctors’ induction curriculum to enhance their knowledge and confidence in managing newly diagnosed AF patients and ensuring safe discharges. Results Lack of an ambulatory care or arrhythmia clinic referral pathway, inadequate educational resources, insufficient clinician training were key factors contributing to unwarranted hospitalization of newly diagnosed AF patients. The comprehensive guideline revision process, requiring substantial resources and the support of stakeholders and a multidisciplinary team comprising cardiologists and emergency and acute medical physicians, facilitated the successful implementation of the new AF referral pathway. This QIP resulted in a 16% reduction in avoidable admissions, 24% increase in clinician confidence, and 18% improvement in adherence to stroke and bleeding risk assessment protocols, in addition to reducing the hospital stay duration. Conclusions The collaboration among diverse medical disciplines, evidence-based guideline revision, and the implementation of a streamlined AF referral pathway demonstrated the potential to reduce healthcare resource utilization and financial burdens. This approach aligns with national standards, enhances healthcare providers' knowledge and confidence, ensuring standardised clinical practices. It underscores its potential for implementation of similar pathways to improve patient care. Continuous evaluation to evolving guidelines are recommended for sustainability.Figure 1.Ishikawa fishbone diagramFigure 2.Driver diagram for AF care

Combined pharmacotherapy in atrial fibrillation patients and their risk of stroke, dementia, and cardiovascular deaths

Abstract Background Even though there have been many advances in oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, the incidence of adverse outcomes in these patients remain high. Optimal management of underlying cardiovascular (CV) conditions have been proposed to provide additional benefit to the prognosis of AF, including major CV and cognitive outcomes. However, concrete epidemiological evidence is still lacking. Purposes To investigate the effect of combinations of CV pharmacotherapies on the risk of stroke, dementia, and CV deaths among AF patients. Methods Using the Swedish Total Population Register and National Patient Register, we identified all individuals born between 1907-1950, who have been living in Sweden since 1987 and were diagnosed with first-ever AF between January 1st 2006-December 31st 2010. Persons with a history of stroke and dementia at the time of AF diagnoses were excluded. Included AF patients were followed for stroke, dementia, and cardiovascular deaths until December 31st, 2020. Use of CV drugs (i.e., OAC, antihypertensives, antiplatelets, and lipid-lowering drugs (LLD)) was defined as prescription within 1 year since AF diagnosis, ascertained via the Prescribed Drug Register. Results A total of 135896 AF patients were followed for a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (SD 4.8), and 17259 (12.7%) incident stroke, 18092 (13.3%) dementia, and 75514 (55.6%) CV deaths were observed. OAC were prescribed to 41.53% of the AF patients within 1 year since AF diagnosis, and antihypertensives to 80.6%, LLD to 30.8%, and antiplatelets to 45.4%. only 2.8% of the AF patients were using OAC only, and 38.7% were using both OAC and antihypertensives. 10.9% were using both OAC and antiplatelets, and 16.8% both OAC and LLD. After propensity score matching, combination of OAC and antihypertensives was statistically significantly associated with a lower risk of stroke (multi-adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.88) and CV deaths (0.84, 0.80-0.88), although insignificant for dementia (0.93, 0.85-1.02), compared to using only OAC. OAC combined with antiplatelets, and OAC with LLD, were however associated with an increased risk of stroke and dementia (HR ranging from 1.08-1.23), but a decreased risk of CV deaths (HR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.98; HR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.80-0.85), compared to using only OAC. Using neither drug in the combinations was associated with the highest risk for all three outcomes. Conclusions This observational study indicates that older AF patients may benefit from combined therapy of OAC and antihypertensives in terms of stroke, CV deaths, and dementia. Further evidence from clinical trials is needed to confirm this finding.

External validation of the new REACT-HF score for heart failure prediction in patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) represents the main cause of hospital admissions and deaths among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, but precise risk prediction tools are lacking. Recently, the REACT-HF score has been developed to predict incident HF hospitalizations or cardiovascular (CV) death within 2-years based on 12 variables (sex, age, height, creatinine clearance, diabetes, vascular disease, valvular heart disease, heart rate and rhythm, left ventricular hypertrophy and intraventricular conduction delay). Purpose The aim of the present study was to externally validate the REACT-HF score within the Swiss-AF and BEAT-AF cohorts, and to investigate whether this score model can be improved by adding biomarkers (hs-CRP, NT-proBNP, hs-TNT). Methods We included 2’599 AF patients from the Swiss- and BEAT-AF cohorts without prior history of HF, with at least one follow-up and with all baseline variables needed for the REACT-HF score. To validate the score, we estimated a Cox model with the original score as the only predictor. We further explored whether the predictive performance of the REACT-HF score model could be improved by adding any combination of the above listed biomarkers. The primary outcome was incident HF hospitalization or CV death. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of the primary outcome and all-cause mortality. Results Mean age was 70.2 years, 29.1% were female and 54.8% had paroxysmal AF. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 2.7 (+/- 1.6). The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (65%), diabetes (12%), vascular disease (23%) and coronary artery disease (36%). Most patients (1’883) presented a very low REACT-HF score below 0.05 (72.4%), 530 patients between 0.05 and below 0.1 (20.4%) and 186 had a risk score of 0.1 and above (7.2%). In the validation set, 380 (14.6%), 471 (18.1%), 511 (19.7%) 561 (21.6%) and 676 (26.0%) patients were categorized in the lowest to the highest quintiles based on the original score`s quintiles. Figure 1 shows the Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the primary endpoint of first HF hospitalization or CV death by quintiles of the REACT-HF score, applied in our pooled cohort. And Figure 2 shows the Kaplan-Meier curves for the 1st HF hospitalization. The incidence rates at 2-year follow-up per 100 patient-years of the primary outcome (0.39, 0.59, 1.58, 3.97, 7.53), HF hospitalization (0.39, 0.49, 1.38, 2.75, 6.26), CV death (0.0, 0.10, 0.20, 1.29, 2.12), and all cause-death (0.10, 0.49, 0.78, 2.29, 4.24) all increased gradually among the quintiles of risk score. The estimated c-statistic for the composite primary outcome was 0.764 (approximate 95% CI, 0.723-0.806). The best biomarker enhanced-model within our cohort was the model including hs-CRP and NT-proBNP (c-statistic 0.810). Conclusions The REACT-HF score discriminates well for prediction of HF hospitalization and CV death in a contemporary AF population and can be improved by including NT-pro-BNP and hs-CRP.

Metabolic Syndrome: A Strange Companion of Atrial Fibrillation; A Blessing in Disguise from the Neuropsychiatric Point of View.

Background: The concept of metabolic syndrome (MetSy) brings together components that individually represent a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which over time can prove to be more harmful if a combined effect of these is exhibited. Method: A single-centre retrospective study in an academic medical unit was conducted. We analysed the link between the MetSy and the occurrence of neuropsychic complications among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. We sifted through the files of the patients admitted during 2015-2016 to the Municipal Emergency University Hospital Timisoara, Romania, with the diagnosis of AF. We divided these AF patients into two groups: the first group comprised patients with atrial fibrillation and MetSy (267 patients), while the second group comprised AF patients without MetSy (843 patients). We analysed the occurrence of neuropsychic changes (stroke, Parkinson's disease, dementia, cognitive impairment, and silent lacunar infarction) among the two groups. Results: Cognitive impairment (p-value = 0.0081) and dementia (p-value < 0.0001) were less frequent in patients with AF and MetSy than in those with AF without MetSy. Regarding the presence of stroke and Parkinson's disease (PD), we could not demonstrate the existence of any statistically significant difference between the two groups. Using logistic regression (enter test), we found that MetSy might have a protective effect (OR = 0.4040, 95% CI [0.2132; 0.7654], p-value = 0.0054) for the occurrence of dementia in those patients. Furthermore, obesity was the only factor with a possible protective effect from all the constituents of the MetSy when analysed together (with a significance level of p-value = 0.0004 for the logistic regression). The protective effect of MetSy against stroke occurrence was supplementarily proven by a longer period of survival without stroke from the AF diagnosis (3.521 years, p = 0.0304) compared to patients with AF without MetSy (3.286 years to first stroke occurrence). Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome might offer protection against the occurrence of dementia among patients with AF, but no effect was noted when compared with the presence of stroke. Further studies on larger cohorts can help us reach a conclusion regarding the positive effects of the metabolic syndrome.

CHA2DS2VASc score predicts risk of end stage renal disease in patients with atrial fibrillation: Long-term follow-up study

BackgroundEnd stage renal disease (ESRD) is an increasing worldwide epidemic disease. CHA2DS2-VASc score is a well-established predictor of cardiovascular outcome among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to test whether CHA2DS2-VASc score is a good predictor for incident ESRD events. MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study (from January 2010 to December 2020) with median follow-up of 61.7 months. Clinical parameters and baseline characteristics were recorded. The endpoint was defined as ESRD with dialysis dependent. ResultsThe study cohort comprised 29,341 participants. Their median age was 71.0 years, 43.2% were male, 21.5% had diabetes mellitus, 46.1% had hypertension, and mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 2.89. CHA2DS2-VASc score was incrementally associated with the risk of ESRD status during follow-up. Using the univariate Cox model, we found a 26% increase in ESRD risk with an increase of one point in the CHA2DS2-VASc score (HR 1.26 [1.23–1.29], P < 0.001). And using the multi-variate Cox model adjusted by initial CKD stage, we still observed a 5.9% increase in risk of ESRD with a one-point increase in the CHA2DS2-VASc score (HR 1.059 [1.037–1.082], P < 0.001). The CHA2DS2-VASC score and the initial stage of CKD were associated with the risk of ESRD development in patients with AF. ConclusionsOur results first confirmed the utility of CHA2DS2-VASC score in predicting progression to ESRD in AF patients. The efficiency is best in CKD stage 1.

Abstract 9312: Factors That Predict the Choice of Oral Anticoagulants in Men and Women With Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: Potential sex-specific differences in oral anticoagulation (OAC) initiation among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients discharged from hospital into the community have not previously been investigated. This study identified sex-specific factors associated with OAC initiation in patients with AF. Methods: Using hospitalization and drug databases, we built a cohort of AF patients having been hospitalized and then discharged to the community between 2014 and 2017 in Québec, Canada. The primary outcome was the choice of OAC (warfarin, high-dose or low-dose DOAC) initiated upon hospital discharge, based on the first claim at the index date. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of low-dose and standard-dose DOAC vs warfarin initiation, and low-dose vs standard-dose DOACs initiation. Results: 32,050 patients were included, from whom 16,896 (53%) were women. In both sexes, warfarin initiation decreased while DOACs initiation increased over time. 17.3%, 29.0% and 53.7% of women were started on warfarin, low-dose and standard-dose DOACs, respectively while 15.6%, 16.6% and 67.8% of men were started on warfarin, low-dose and standard-dose DOACs, respectively. Year of initiation was a predictor of DOACs (odds ratios (ORs): from 1.40 to 8.37) (vs warfarin initiation in both sex (Table 1). Older age predicted the use of low-dose DOACs vs warfarin in both sex (ORs: from 1.65 to 3.99 age 65-79 and from 1.83 to 10.29 in age ≥80), while a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score ≥3 predicted the use of low-dose DOACs in women only (ORs from 1.98 to 2.49). Age ≥80 (ORs: from 17.99 to 64.82) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (ORs from 2.82 to 7.42) predicted the use of low-dose DOACs vs standard DOACs in both sex (ORs: from 2.64 to 3.29 age. Conclusions: Women were more likely than men to received low-dose DOACs and the decision to initiate low- vs standard-dose DOACs was mainly driven by age, CKD status (in both sexes) and a high CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score (in women only).

Effect of oral anticoagulation therapy in atrial fibrillation patients with a history of intracranial hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients surviving intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) represents a challenge due to the difficult balance between thrombosis and hemorrhage. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of OACs resumption in AF patients with a history of ICH during long-term follow-up. The outcome measures were ischemic stroke (IS), IS or systemic embolism (SE), all-cause death, recurrent ICH and major bleeding. Meta-analyses of pooled odds ratios (ORs) were conducted with random-effects models. A total of 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 9 observational studies were included, covering 18,115 patients with AF and a history of ICH. The risk of IS was not statistically different between the group of patients receiving OAC therapy and the no-OAC group (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.0, P=0.05). The rate of IS or SE (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.70, P=0.0008), all-cause death (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.70, I2=42%, P<0.00001) were significantly decreased in patients receiving OAC therapy compared to those with no-OAC therapy. The pooled OR estimates for ICH recurrence (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.94 to 2.26, P=0.09) and major bleeding (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.86 to 2.11, P=0.19) were not significantly increased in the OAC therapy group. There was heterogeneity between the results of observational studies and RCTs in terms of all-cause death (I2=83.4%). Considering the heterogeneity in results between observational studies and RCTs, as well as the limited number and small size of RCTs, high grade evidences are needed. Pooled analysis is required when more RCTs are completed in the future to resolve this therapeutic dilemma.

Anticoagulation Control in Older Atrial Fibrillation Patients Receiving Vitamin K Antagonist Therapy for Stroke Prevention.

Introduction Efficacy and safety of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients are enhanced when the International Normalised Ratio (INR) is 2.0–3.0. Anticoagulation control among older patients is perceived to be lower and contributes to poorer initiation and uptake. Objective To examine the quality of INR control, adverse clinical outcomes, and factors associated with bleeding in older AF patients (≥80 years). Methods Anticoagulation control assessed by time in therapeutic range (TTR) (Rosendaal method) and percentage INRs in range (PINRR). Among the 205 patients aged ≥80 years, 58.5% were female, with mean (SD) CHA2DS2-VASc 4.4 (1.3) and HAS-BLED 1.8 (0.8) scores. Results Mean (SD) TTR and PINRR were similar for those aged ≥80 vs. <80 years (66.7 (13.8) vs. 66.7 (13.1)) despite significantly lower INR monitoring intensity (51.2 (22.7) vs. 60.7 (25.8)) and shorter follow-up (4.4 (2.6–6.2) vs. 5.7 years (3.3–7.1)) in those ≥80 years of age. Good anticoagulation control (TTR and PINRR ≥70%) of 44% was seen in both age groups. No significant differences in composite major adverse clinical events were evident for those aged ≥80 vs. <80 years (p = 0.55). Cox regression analysis confirmed that age ≥80 years was associated with higher risk of bleeding (HR 1.90 (1.01–3.56); p = 0.047). Conclusions Suboptimal (TTR and PINRR <70%) anticoagulation control was evident in all patients. Risk of bleeding increased, but there was no difference in thromboembolic events and all-cause mortality in those aged ≥80 years. Improving TTR to ≥70% and enhancing anticoagulation monitoring of VKA use remain a clinical priority to prevent bleeding complications, particularly among those aged 80 years and above.

Psychometric Properties of PSS-10 among Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Objective: The objective of the current study was to assess the psychometric properties of Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10) among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.&#x0D; Methodology: A cross-sectional study was performed among AF patients using the PSS-10. Sociodemographic and patients reported clinical data were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. A p-value &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.&#x0D; Results: There were more male patients (n=165) than the female patients (n=111) in total of 276 studied patients. No major issues regarding internal consistency, factorial validity, convergent validity and floor and ceiling effect were observed.&#x0D; Conclusion: The present study confirmed the psychometric properties validation of PSS-10 among AF patients.

Abstract 9809: Mortality, Hospitalization, and Cardiac Interventions in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Younger Than 65 Years

Introduction: The risk factor burden, and long-term outcome among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients under 65 years of age is unclear. Methods: The study population included 67,221 (mean age 72.4 ± 12.3, 45% female) adult patients with AF evaluated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 1/2010 and 12/2019. Hospital system wide electronic health records and administrative data using International Classification of Disease 9 and 10 revisions was utilized to ascertain risk factors, comorbidities, and subsequent mortality and hospitalization stratified according to age at initial evaluation. Association of AF with all-cause mortality among those &lt; 65 years was analyzed using an internal contemporary cohort of patients without AF (n=918,073). Results: 17,335 patients (26%) were less than 65 years of age (32% female, 92% white) with considerable cardiovascular risk factors (current smoker 16%, BMI 33.0 ± 8.3, hypertension 55%, Diabetes Mellitus 21%, congestive heart failure 20%, Coronary artery disease 19%, prior ischemic stroke 6%) and comorbidity burden (COPD 11%, Obstructive sleep apnea 18%, CKD 1.3 %). Over mean follow up of &gt; 5 years, 2084 (6.7% &lt;50 years; 13% 50-65 years) patients died. Proportion of patients with &gt;1 hospitalization for MI, HF and Ischemic stroke was 1.25%, 4.8%, and 1.05% for those &lt;50 years and 2.2%,7.4%, and 1.1% for the 50-65 years subgroup respectively. Multiple cardiac and non-cardiac risk factors were associated with increased mortality in younger AF patients with HF and hypertension demonstrating significant age-related interaction (p=0.007 and p=0.013 respectively). AF patients experienced significantly worse survival when compared to comorbidity adjusted patients without AF (Males &lt;50y HR 1.49 (1.24-1.79), 50-65y HR 1.34 (1.26-1.43); Females &lt;50y HR 2.4 (1.82-3.16), 50-65y HR 1.75 (1.6-1.92)). Conclusions: AF patient &lt;65 years of age have significant comorbidity burden and considerable long-term mortality. They are also at a significant increased risk of hospitalization for HF, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Cardiac and non-cardiac comorbidities are independently associated with worse outcome in these patients and warrant aggressive risk factor and comorbidity evaluation and management.

Impacts of off-label dosing noacs on clinical outcomes in very elderly patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background Studies about the comparisons of on-label and off-label dosing non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) regarding the risks of clinical outcomes among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients have been published. However, data among the very elderly AF patients were limited. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the impacts of inappropriate dosing of NOACs on clinical outcomes in AF patients aged ≥85 years of age. Methods We used medical data from a multi-center healthcare system in Taiwan enrolling 1,836 and 268 AF patients aged ≥85 years treated with NOACs and warfarin, respectively. Among 1,836 patients receiving NOACs, underdosing, overdosing and on-label dosing NOACs were prescribed in 248, 149 and 1439 patients, respectively. The risks of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (IS/SE) and major bleeding were compared between warfarin and NOACs in different dosing groups. Also, the risks of clinical events of underdosing and overdosing NOACs were comapred to on-labeling dosing. Results Compared to warfarin, underdosing NOACs were associated with a higher risk of IS/SE (aHR 2.39; p=0.048) without a lower risk of major bleeding; while overdosing NOACs were not associated with a lower risk of IS/SE (aHR 0.74, p=0.604) (Figure 1). Compared to on-label dosing NOACs, underdosing NOACs were associated with a higher risk of IS/SE, while the risk was not lower for overdoing NOACs (Figure 2). Conclusions Even for very elderly AF patients aged ≥85 years, NOACs should still be prescribed at the dosing following the criteria defined in clinical trials and guideline recommendations. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1Figure 2

Association of Type of Antidepressant Initiation with Bleeding Risk in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Taking Oral Anticoagulants.

BackgroundInconsistent evidence suggests that use of certain antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), in patients using oral anticoagulants (OACs) might be associated with an elevated risk of bleeding.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the risk of bleeding associated with initiation of different types of antidepressants among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients on OAC therapy.Patients and methodsA total of 30,336 AF patients (mean age 72.2 years; 54% female) on OAC therapy that started antidepressant treatment were identified from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Databases for the period 2007–2015. Exposure was defined as filling a prescription for antidepressant, and categorized as SSRI, serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), or other antidepressants. The primary outcome was incident hospitalized bleeding. Associations of antidepressant type with bleeding were assessed calculating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjusted Cox models in pairwise propensity score-matched cohorts.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 21 months, we identified 1612 bleeding episodes. In pairwise comparisons, SSRI use was associated with an increased risk of bleeding when compared to most other antidepressants (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.96–1.54 vs SNRI; HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.90–1.35 vs SRI; HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.82–1.30 vs TCA). SNRI use was associated with the lowest bleeding risk. Results did not differ by OAC type, age, and sex.ConclusionsAmong AF patients on OAC initiating antidepressants, risk of bleeding varied across antidepressant type. This information can inform treatment choices among patients receiving OAC.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40801-021-00258-3.

Abstract P634: Contemporary Trends of Oral Anticoagulant Utilization Among Texas Medicare Beneficiaries With Atrial Fibrillation

Introductions: Underutilization of oral anticoagulation (OAC) drugs among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients has been reported. We provide contemporary trends for utilization of warfarin and novel OACs (NOACs) among Medicare beneficiaries with AF in Texas. Methods: Using Texas Medicare Fee-for-Service claims data for 2014-2017, AF patients were identified if they had at least one inpatient or two outpatient claims with a diagnosis of AF using ICD 9/10 codes. AF patients having any medical claims with ICD 9/10 or CPT codes indicating vulvar stenosis or the presence of valve replacement were excluded. OACs included warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban and the use of a drug was assumed if the prescription was filled. The percentage of patients on OAC among AF patients, who were enrolled in Medicare Part D in the measurement year were reported with 95% CI and p-value for trends both overall and by CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score and renal function. Results: Of 216,602 AF patients, 57% did not receive any OAC during any measurement year. Overall OAC utilization increased from 35.8% (35.4-36.2) in 2014 to 41.6 % (41.3-41.8) in 2017 (p &lt;0.001). This increase was driven by NOAC use which increased from 18.6% (18.3-18.9) in 2014 to 29.3% (29.0-29.5) in 2017 (p &lt;0.001) while the proportion of warfarin users decreased from 17.2% (16.9-17.5) in 2014 to 12.3% (12.1-12.5) in 2017 (p &lt;0.001). Increasing trends for NOAC use and decreasing trends for warfarin were observed regardless of CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores and levels of renal function. Conclusions: The OAC use has been increasing but about 6 out of 10 AF patients do not receive OAC despite high CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores. Targeted strategies are required to address OAC underutilization among AF patients.

Abstract 17235: Comparision of Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Catheter versus Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Introduction: There is a lack of research comparing outcomes of Surgical Ablation (SA) and Catheter Ablation (CA) among Atrial Fibrillation(AF) patients with heart failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) and . Hypothesis: The main objective is to compare short-term clinical outcomes of SA and CA in AF patients with HFpEF. Methods: We used the national inpatient sample to identify patients over 18 years with HFpEF hospitalization and AF, and undergoing SA and CA from 2016 - 2017. The clinical outcomes of SA versus CA in AF stratified as non-paroxysmal and paroxysmal were analyzed. Results: 1,530 HFpEF hospitalizations with AF who underwent SA and 1,045 HFpEF hospitalizations with AF who underwent CA were included in the analysis. Patients undergoing CA had higher baseline comorbidity. The in-hospital mortality between HFpEF with AF undergoing SA as compared to CA was similar (1.9% versus 1.4%, adjusted P-value 0.04). Patients undergoing SA had a significantly longer length of hospital stay, a higher percentage of post-procedural, and cardiac complications. In HFpEF patients with non-paroxysmal AF, SA as opposed to CA was associated with a higher percentage of in-hospital mortality (2.7% versus 0%, adjusted P-value=0.23), a longer length of stay, a higher cost of treatment, and a higher percentage of cardiac complications. Conclusions: In conclusion, CA is associated with lower in-hospital outcomes as compared to SA among AF with HFpEF patients. Further research with freedom from AF is needed between this group with long-term out c omes.

The Number of Concomitant Drugs and the Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Routine Care Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Background The benefit of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) on major bleeding was less prominent among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with polypharmacy in post-hoc randomized controlled trials analyses. Whether this phenomenon also exists in routine care is unknown. The aim of the study is to investigate whether the number of concomitant drugs prescribed modifies safety and effectiveness of DOACs compared with VKAs in AF patients treated in general practice. Study Design Adult, nonvalvular AF patients with a first DOAC or VKA prescription between January 2010 and July 2018 were included, using data from the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Primary outcome was major bleeding, secondary outcomes included types of major bleeding, nonmajor bleeding, ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality. Effect modification was assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression, stratified for the number of concomitant drugs into three strata (0–5, 6–8, ≥9 drugs), and by including the continuous variable in an interaction term with the exposure (DOAC vs. VKA). Results A total of 63,600 patients with 146,059 person-years of follow-up were analyzed (39,840 person-years of DOAC follow-up). The median age was 76 years in both groups, the median number of concomitant drugs prescribed was 7. Overall, the hazard of major bleeding was similar between VKA-users and DOAC-users (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–1.11), though for apixaban a reduction in major bleeding was observed (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.68–0.98). Risk of stroke was comparable, while risk of nonmajor bleeding was lower in DOAC users compared with VKA users (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.97). We did not observe any evidence for an impact of polypharmacy on the relative risk of major bleeding between VKA and DOAC across our predefined three strata of concomitant drug use ( p -value for interaction = 0.65). For mortality, however, risk of mortality was highest among DOAC users, increasing with polypharmacy and independent of the type of DOAC prescribed ( p -value for interaction <0.01). Conclusion In this large observational, population-wide study of AF patients, risk of bleeding, and ischemic stroke were comparable between DOACs and VKAs, irrespective of the number of concomitant drugs prescribed. In AF patients with increasing polypharmacy, our data appeared to suggest an unexplained yet increased risk of mortality in DOAC-treated patients, compared with VKA recipients.

Left atrial structure and function among different subtypes of atrial fibrillation: an echocardiographic substudy of the AMIO-CAT trial.

Little is known about cardiac structure and function among atrial fibrillation (AF) subtypes; paroxysmal AF vs. persistent AF (PxAF), and across AF burden. We sought to assess differences in left atrial (LA) measures by AF subtype and burden. This was a cross-sectional echocardiographic substudy of a randomized trial of AF patients scheduled for catheter ablation. Patients had an echocardiogram performed 0-90 days prior to study inclusion. We performed conventional echocardiographic measures, left ventricular (LV) and LA speckle tracking. Measures were compared between AF subtype and burden (0%, 0-99%, and 99-100%) determined by 72-h Holter monitoring. Of 212 patients, 107 had paroxysmal AF and 105 had PxAF. Those with PxAF had significantly reduced systolic function (LV ejection fraction: 48% vs. 53%; P < 0.001), larger end-systolic and end-diastolic LA volumes (LAVi and LAEDVi), reduced LA emptying fraction (LAEF: 29% vs. 36%, P < 0.001), and reduced LA strain (LAs) (LAs: 20% vs. 26%, P < 0.001). LA measures remained significantly lower in PxAF after multivariable adjustments. All LA measures and measures of systolic function were significantly impaired in patients with 99-100% AF burden, whereas all measures were similar between the other groups (LAVi: 40mL/m2 vs. 33mL/m2 vs. 34mL/m2; LAEDVi: 31mL/m2 vs. 21mL/m2 vs. 22mL/m2, LA emptying fraction: 23% vs. 35% vs. 36%, LAs: 16% vs. 25% vs. 25%, for 99-100%, 0-99%, and 0% AF, respectively, P < 0.001 for all). These differences were consistent after multivariable adjustments. LA mechanics differ between AF subtype and burden and these characteristics influence the clinical interpretation of these measures.

The CHA2DS2-VASc score predicts chronic kidney disease among patients with atrial fibrillation.

It is unclear how the CHA2DS2-VASc score can predict subsequent chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. We identified incident AF patients without CKD between 2000 and 2013 from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan and calculated the CHA2DS2-VASc score for each patient. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated from multivariate cause-specific Cox models to assess the risk of CKD and ESRD associated with the CHA2DS2-VASc score. A total of 8764 participants with AF who did not have CKD were included in the analysis. The mean age was 69.63 ± 13.48years and 4800 (54.8%) were males. The adjusted HR of CKD displayed a stepwise increase with the increase in the CHA2DS2-VASc score. When compared with those with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0, the adjusted HRs of CKD were 1.57 (95% CI 1.09-2.26), 2.04 (95% CI 1.42-2.94), 2.48 (95% CI 1.70-3.62), 2.88 (95% CI 1.95-4.26), 3.29 (95% CI 2.18-4.95) and 4.00 (95% CI 2.61-6.13) for the AF patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and ≥ 6, respectively. Similarly, as the CHA2DS2-VASc score increased, the adjusted HR of ESRD showed a gradual increase. Patients with a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score were linked to a higher risk of CKD and ESRD in a dose-dependent effect, i.e. the incidence of CKD/ESRD increased with the increasing CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Risks and outcomes of gastrointestinal malignancies in anticoagulated atrial fibrillation patients experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding: A nationwide cohort study

Oral anticoagulants (OACs) may serve as a "screening test" for gastrointestinal (GI) tract malignancies through the clinical presentation of bleeding. The purpose of this study was to investigate the 1-year incidence and predictors of GI cancer after GI bleeding among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients treated with warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). The risks of mortality after GI cancers between patients receiving warfarin and those receiving NOACs were compared. A total of 10,845 anticoagulated AF patients hospitalized due to GI bleeding without a previous history of GI cancer were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients were followed-up for incident GI cancers for up to 1 year. Within 1 year after GI bleeding, 290 patients (2.67%) were diagnosed with GI tract cancer. More patients treated with NOACs were diagnosed with GI cancer than those treated with warfarin (3.87% vs 2.44%; P <.001; odds ratio [OR] 1.606; P <.001). Age (OR 1.025 per 1-year increment) and male sex (OR 1.356) were associated with the diagnosis of GI cancer. Among patients diagnosed with GI cancer, 45.2% died within 1 year. The risk of mortality was lower in patients treated with NOACs than in those treated with warfarin (23.5% vs 51.8%; adjusted hazard ratio 0.441; P <.001). Incident GI cancers were diagnosed in 1 of 37 AF patients at 1 year after OAC-related GI bleeding and were more common among patients treated with NOACs (1/26) compared to warfarin (1/41). Detailed examinations for occult GI cancers are necessary, especially among elderly males.

PCV25 UPDATING COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS FOR PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND VARYING RISKS OF STROKE AND BLEEDING

Evidence on cost-effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with varying stroke and bleeding risks is not straightforward because stroke and bleeding share common risk factors. The present study aimed to examine the cost-effectiveness of apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban compared to warfarin in AF patients with different risk profiles. A Markov micro-simulation (12 states) was adapted to examine the lifetime costs and quality-adjusted survival (QALYs) of five anticoagulants according to U.S. private payer’s perspective. The hypothetical cohort consisted of 10,000 AF patients with age, CHADS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores similar to a commercially insured AF patient cohort (IBM MarketScan®). Patients were grouped into 9 subgroups based on their CHADS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores. Transition probabilities estimated from IBM MarketScan® and literature were dependent upon anticoagulant treatments and the subgroup patients were in. Costs and utilities were obtained from the literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Subgroup analysis for each stroke and bleed risk subgroup and age were also performed. All DOACs had incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) <$100,000/QALY relative to the common comparator warfarin, the optimal treatment strategy was dabigatran (ICER=$35,055/QALY). After eliminating rivaroxaban and apixaban (dominated strategies), ICER was $36,577/QALY for edoxaban relative to warfarin and $30,826/QALY for dabigatran relative to edoxaban. Subgroup analysis indicated edoxaban were cost-effective compare to dabigatran among patients with low bleed risk. This study provided evidence on the cost-effectiveness of five anticoagulants for patients with atrial fibrillation which can inform clinical decision making about treatment selection. The results suggested dabigatran was cost-effective compared to other treatment options among general AF population, while edoxaban was cost-effective compared to other treatments among patients with low bleed risk.