Renal Function in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Anticoagulants: The Canaries in the Coal Mine

Electronic health record-embedded decision support to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation - Study protocol

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common significant cardiac rhythm disorder and is a powerful common risk factor for stroke. Randomized trials have demonstrated that anticoagulation can reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. Yet, there continues to be widespread underutilization of this therapy. To address this practice gap locally and improve efforts to reduce the risk of stroke for patients with AF in our health system, we have designed a study to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an Atrial Fibrillation Decision Support Tool (AFDST) embedded within our electronic health record.

METHODS

Our intervention is provider-facing and focused on decision support. The clinical setting is ambulatory patients being seen by primary care physicians. Patients include those with both incident and prevalent AF. This randomized, prospective trial will enroll 800 patients in our University of Cincinnati Health System who are currently receiving less than optimal anticoagulation therapy as determined by the AFDST. Patients will be randomized to one of two arms - 1) usual care, in which the AFDST is available for use; 2) addition of a best practice advisory (BPA) to the AFDST notifying the clinician that their patient stands to gain a significant benefit from a change in their current thromboprophylactic therapy.

RESULTS

The primary outcome is effectiveness of the BPA measured by change to "appropriate thromboprophylaxis" based on the AFDST recommendation at 3 months post randomization. Secondary endpoints include Reach and Adoption, from the RE-AIM framework for implementation studies. Sample size is based upon an improvement from inappropriate to appropriate anticoagulation therapy estimated at 4% in the usual care arm and ≥10% in the experimental arm.

CONCLUSION

Our goal is to examine whether addition of a BPA to an AFDST focused on primary care physicians in an ambulatory care setting will improve "appropriate thromboprophylaxis" compared with usual care. Results will be examined at 3 months post randomization and at the end of the study to evaluate durability of changes. We expect to complete patient enrollment by the end of June 2022.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04099485.

Patient characteristics, care patterns, and outcomes of atrial fibrillation associated hospitalizations in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are associated with poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. There is a paucity of contemporary data on in-hospital outcomes and care patterns of atrial fibrillation (AF) associated hospitalizations CKD and ESRD.

METHODS

Outcomes and care patterns were evaluated in GWTG-AFIB database (Jan 2013-Dec 2018), including in-hospital mortality, use of a rhythm control strategy, and oral anticoagulation (OAC) prescription at discharge among eligible patients. Generalized logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to ascertain differences in outcomes. Hospital-level variation in OAC prescription and rhythm control was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 50,154 patients from 105 hospitals the median age was 70 years (interquartile range 61-79) and 47.3% were women. The prevalence of CKD was 36.0% while that of ESRD was 1.6%. Among eligible patients, discharge OAC prescription rates were 93.6% for CKD and 89.1% for ESRD. After adjustment, CKD and ESRD were associated with higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 3.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.57-6.03 for ESRD and OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.52-2.67 for CKD), lower odds of OAC prescription at discharge (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.79 for ESRD and OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.94 for CKD) compared with normal renal function. CKD was associated with lower utilization of rhythm control strategy (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.98) with no significant difference between ESRD and normal renal function (OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.79-1.11). There was large hospital-level variation in OAC prescription at discharge (MOR 2.34, 95% CI 2.05-2.76) and utilization of a rhythm control strategy (MOR 2.69, 95% CI 2.34-3.21).

CONCLUSIONS

CKD/ESRD is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, less frequent rhythm control, and less OAC prescription among patients hospitalized for AF. There is wide hospital-level variation in utilization of a rhythm control strategy and OAC prescription at discharge highlighting potential opportunities to improve care and outcomes for these patients, and better define standards of care in this patient population.

Safety and Efficacy of Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Renal Impairment

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are gaining popularity for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) for stroke prevention. Less bleeding risk with comparable stroke prevention compared to warfarin was shown. DOACs have predictable anticoagulant effects, infrequent monitoring requirements and less drug-food interactions compared to warfarin. However, safety and efficacy data of DOACs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are limited. This is a retrospective study to evaluate thromboembolic and bleeding events in patients with AF (with/without CKD) in October 2010 and July 2017. A total of 495 patients were included and only 150 patients had CKD. Our study found that patients with renal impairment on a DOAC do not have a higher incidence of bleeding events. It showed significant increase in thromboembolic events in CKD patients with dabigatran compared to CKD patients with apixaban with odds ratio of 6.58 (95%CI 1.35-32.02, p = 0.02).

Non-Vitamin K-Dependent Oral Anticoagulants for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With CKD: Pragmatic Considerations for the Clinician

Management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a complex conundrum because of higher risks for both thromboembolic and bleeding complications compared to the general population. This makes it particularly important for clinicians to carefully weigh the risks versus benefits of anticoagulation therapy to determine the individualized net clinical benefit for every patient. During the past few years, 4 non-vitamin K-dependent oral anticoagulant (NOAC) agents have supplemented warfarin in the therapeutic armamentarium for the prevention of systemic thromboembolism in nonvalvular AF. However, the use of NOACs in CKD specifically mandates a nuanced understanding due to their varying dependence on renal clearance, with resultant safety implications related to either underdosing (thromboembolism) or excessive drug exposure (bleeding). This pragmatic review highlights unique considerations pertaining to accurate estimation and temporal monitoring of kidney function in the context of NOAC use with specific clinical deliberations and variables when determining whether an NOAC is appropriate for a patient with CKD. The dependence of NOACs on renal clearance and several troubling safety signals in the published literature suggest that it is vital for nephrologists to be active members of a multidisciplinary team caring for these high-risk patients with CKD and AF.

Preventive nephrology in the era of "I" evidence: should we screen for chronic kidney disease?

In this issue, Ferguson and colleagues demonstrate that chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening in populations burdened with CKD may be cost effective. Whether we should screen for CKD, however, continues to be debated despite the availability of effective clinical strategies that mitigate the risks of CKD progression. This study highlights the need for pragmatic trials to test the effectiveness of early CKD detection combined with optimization of clinical management and calls for innovation to tackle CKD.

Edoxaban: How Does the Newest Agent Fit into the DOAC Landscape?

Edoxaban is the most recently approved factor Xa inhibitor within the class of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Like other DOACs, edoxaban was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of venous thromboembolism and prevention of stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Similar to other DOACs, edoxaban has fewer drug-drug interactions than warfarin and does not require routine laboratory monitoring. Unlike other DOACs, edoxaban has yet to be approved for secondary or postoperative venous thromboembolism thromboprophylaxis. Currently no antidote for edoxaban is available. To optimally prescribe agents in the DOAC class, it is critical that providers 1) understand how the agents compare; and 2) identify specific settings in which one agent may be preferred over another.