Evidence gaps pertaining to high-risk medications: Commentary on anticoagulation in new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Akowuah E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9463701 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Evidence gaps pertaining to high-risk medications: Commentary on anticoagulation in new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Akowuah Enoch E Whitlock Richard R
Heart rhythm O2 20220722 4
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Project description:Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at increased thromboembolic risk, and they suffer more severe strokes with worse outcomes. Most thromboembolic complications of AF are eminently preventable with oral anticoagulation, and the increasing numbers of AF patients mean antithrombotic therapy is the most crucial management aspect of this common arrhythmia. Despite the proven efficacy of warfarin, a string of limitations have meant that it is underused by physicians and patients alike. This has prompted a search for new anticoagulants that could overcome many of the inconveniences of dose variability and anticoagulant monitoring associated with warfarin, but without sacrificing efficacy in thromboprophylaxis. The arrival of new oral anticoagulants has been complemented by improved risk stratification schemes, which permit clinicians to easily and reliably identify patients requiring anticoagulation and their bleeding risk. These advances in AF treatment will hopefully translate into improved outcomes for patients, especially as our experience with the new agents grows.
| S-EPMC4711491 | biostudies-other
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC8786135 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is effective yet reportedly underutilized for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). Factors associated with delayed OAC after incident AF are unknown. Using a large electronic medical record, we identified incident episodes of AF diagnosed in 2006 to 2014 using a validated algorithm. Among patients with a Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age, Diabetes, and Stroke (CHADS2) score ≥1 started on OAC within 1 year, we examined baseline characteristics at AF diagnosis and their association with time to OAC using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling. Of 4,388 patients with incident AF and CHADS2 score ≥1 who were started on OAC within 1 year, the mean age was 72.6, and 41% were women. Median time to OAC was 5 days (interquartile range 1 to 43), and most patients received warfarin (86.3%). Among patients without prevalent stroke, 98 strokes (2.2% of the sample) occurred between AF diagnosis and OAC initiation. In multivariable analyses, several factors were associated with delayed OAC including female gender (hazard ratio [HR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.15), absence of hypertension (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.27), previous fall (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.17), and chronic kidney disease (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.21). Among women, OAC prescription at 1, 3, and 6 months was 70.0%, 81.7%, and 89.5%, respectively, whereas for men, OAC prescription was 73.4%, 84.0%, and 91.5%, respectively. Most patients with new AF and elevated stroke risk started on OAC receive it within 1 week, although the promptness of initiation varies. The stroke rate is substantial in the period between AF diagnosis and OAC initiation. Interventions targeting identified risk factors for delayed OAC may result in improved outcomes.
| S-EPMC5657547 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with increased long-term stroke and mortality. Anticoagulation has been suggested as a potential therapy, but data on safety and efficacy are scant.ObjectivesTo determine the association between anticoagulation for POAF and long-term outcomes.MethodsAdult patients with POAF after isolated coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) were identified through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database and linked to the Medicare Database. Propensity-matched analyses were performed for all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and major bleeding for patients discharged with or without anticoagulation. Interaction between anticoagulation and CHA2DS2-VASc score was also assessed.ResultsOf 38,936 patients, 9861 (25%) were discharged on oral anticoagulation. After propensity score matching, discharge anticoagulation was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.26). There was no difference in ischemic stroke between groups (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.82-1.15), but there was significantly higher bleeding (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.38-1.85) among those discharged on anticoagulation. Myocardial infarction was lower in the first 30 days for those discharged on anticoagulation, but this effect decreased over time. The incidence of all complications was higher for patients with CHA2DS2-VASc scores ≥5 compared to patients with scores of 2-4. Anticoagulation did not appear to benefit either subgroup.ConclusionAnticoagulation is associated with increased mortality after new-onset POAF following CABG. There was no reduction in ischemic stroke among those discharged on anticoagulation regardless of CHA2DS2-VASc score.
| S-EPMC9463707 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is common after cardiac surgery, but little is known about its incidence and natural course after noncardiac surgery. We evaluated the natural course and clinical impact of POAF and the long-term impact of anticoagulation therapy in patients without a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing noncardiac surgery. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed the database of Asan Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) to identify patients who developed new-onset POAF after undergoing noncardiac surgery between January 2006 and January 2016. The main outcomes were AF recurrence, thromboembolic event, and major bleeding during follow-up. Of 322 688 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery, 315 patients (mean age, 66.4 years; 64.4% male) had new-onset POAF with regular rhythm monitoring after discharge. AF recurred in 53 (16.8%) during 2 years of follow-up. Hypertension (hazard ratio, 2.12; P=0.02), moderate-to-severe left atrial enlargement (hazard ratio, 2.33; P=0.007) were independently associated with recurrence. Patients with recurrent AF had higher risks of thromboembolic events (11.2% versus 0.8%; P<0.001) and major bleeding (26.9% versus 4.1%; P<0.001) than those without recurrence. Patients with recurrent AF and without anticoagulation were especially predisposed to thromboembolic events (P<0.001). Overall, anticoagulation therapy was not significantly associated with thromboembolic events (1.4% versus 2.5%, P=0.95). Conclusions AF recurred in 16.8% of patients with POAF after noncardiac surgery. AF recurrence was associated with higher risks of adverse clinical outcomes. Considering the high risk of anticoagulation-related bleeding, the benefits of routine anticoagulation should be carefully weighed in this population. Active surveillance for AF recurrence is warranted.
| S-EPMC8174377 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) represents a common inherited cardiac disorder with well-known complications Including stroke and sudden cardiac death. There is a recognised association between HCM and the development of AF. This review describes the epidemiology of AF within the HCM population and analyses the risk factors for the development of AF. It further discusses the outcomes associated with AF in this population, including the evidence in support of higher stroke risk in patients with HCM with AF compared with the general AF population. Finally, the evidence and recommendations for anticoagulation in this patient group are addressed.
| S-EPMC5522714 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in older adults. Poor preoperative sleep quality is a putative modifiable risk factor. The relationships between new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation and preoperative sleep structure in older adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery were investigated at a single center.MethodsThis was a prespecified substudy within a prospective observational study of perioperative electroencephalographic markers (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03291626). We analyzed preoperative sleep recordings from 71 cardiac surgical patients aged ≥60 years without a prior history of atrial fibrillation. Overnight recordings were acquired using a consumer-grade headband and underwent manual sleep staging. Electroencephalographic slow wave activity (power in the 0.5-4 Hz frequency band) was computed in 1-minute intervals for non-rapid eye movement sleep stages. Associations between new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation incidence and sleep measures were evaluated using univariate logistic regression models and multivariate logistic regression models including age and sex.ResultsNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation was present in 22 of 71 (31%) patients. A higher preoperative percentage of total sleep time in non-rapid eye movement stage 1 was associated with new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (median difference of 5.4%, P = .0002, Mann-Whitney U-test), independent of age and sex. No associations were observed between new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation and other sleep metrics, including slow wave activity (all P > .05, Mann-Whitney U-test).ConclusionsExcess preoperative non-rapid eye movement stage 1 sleep, consistent with greater sleep fragmentation, is a potential modifiable target for mitigating new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation risk in older adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.
| S-EPMC11910804 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Three agents have recently been approved to reduce the risk of stroke and embolism, and one agent is in phase 3 trials. These drugs cause less serious bleeding and are simpler to manage, compared with warfarin, but they are not without their risks.
| S-EPMC3638402 | biostudies-other
Project description:For many patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation, cardioversion is performed to restore sinus rhythm and relieve symptoms. Cardioversion carries a distinct risk for thromboembolism which has been described to be in the order of magnitude of 1 to 3 %. For almost five decades, vitamin K antagonist therapy has been the mainstay of therapy to prevent thromboembolism around the time of cardioversion although not a single prospective trial has formally established its efficacy and safety. Currently, three new direct oral anticoagulants are approved for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. For all three, there are data regarding its usefulness during the time of electrical or pharmacological cardioversion. Due to the ease of handling, their efficacy regarding stroke prevention, and their safety with respect to bleeding complications, the new direct oral anticoagulants are endorsed as the preferred therapy over vitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation including the clinical setting of elective cardioversion.
| S-EPMC4711488 | biostudies-other
Project description:ImportanceNew-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly reported in patients with severe infections. However, the absolute risk of thromboembolic events without anticoagulation remains unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate the thromboembolic risks associated with AF in patients with pneumonia, assess the risk of recurrent AF, and examine the association of initiation of anticoagulation therapy with new-onset AF.Design, setting, and participantsThis population-based cohort study used linked Danish nationwide registries. Participants included patients hospitalized with incident community-acquired pneumonia in Denmark from 1998 to 2018. Statistical analysis was performed from August 15, 2021, to March 12, 2022.ExposuresNew-onset AF.Main outcomes and measuresThromboembolic events, recurrent AF, and all-cause death. Estimated risks were calculated for thromboembolism without anticoagulation therapy, new hospital or outpatient clinic contact with AF, initiation of anticoagulation therapy, and all-cause death at 1 and 3 years of follow-up. Death was treated as a competing risk, and inverse probability of censoring weights was used to account for patient censoring if they initiated anticoagulation therapy conditioned on AF.ResultsAmong 274 196 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia, 6553 patients (mean age [SD], 79.1 [11.0] years; 3405 women [52.0%]) developed new-onset AF. The 1-year risk of thromboembolism was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.8%-0.8%) in patients without AF vs 2.1% (95% CI, 1.8%-2.5%) in patients with new-onset AF without anticoagulation; this risk was 1.4% (95% CI, 1.0%-2.0%) among patients with AF with intermediate stroke risk and 2.8% (95% CI, 2.3%-3.4%) in patients with AF with high stroke risk. Three-year risks were 3.5% (95% CI, 2.8%-4.3%) among patients with intermediate stroke risk and 5.3% (95% CI, 4.4%-6.5%) among patients with high stroke risk. Among patients with new-onset AF, 32.9% (95% CI, 31.8%-34.1%) had a new hospital contact with AF, and 14.0% (95% CI, 13.2%-14.9%) initiated anticoagulation therapy during the 3 years after incident AF diagnosis. At 3 years, the all-cause mortality rate was 25.7% (95% CI, 25.6%-25.9%) in patients with pneumonia without AF vs 49.8% (95% CI, 48.6%-51.1%) in patients with new-onset AF.Conclusions and relevanceThis cohort study found that new-onset AF after community-acquired pneumonia was associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, which may warrant anticoagulation therapy. Approximately one-third of patients had a new hospital or outpatient clinic contact for AF during the 3-year follow-up, suggesting that AF triggered by acute infections is not a transient, self-terminating condition that reverses with resolution of the infection.
| S-EPMC9136621 | biostudies-literature