Antithrombotic strategies and outcomes in acute coronary syndrome with atrial fibrillation

A retrospective cohort study of oral anticoagulant treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome and atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

To examine the real-world patterns of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in Southern China undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and determine the clinical characteristics associated with OAC prescription.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

This study was conducted in the Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University and the second hospital of Zhaoqing, China, from January 2013 to 31 December 2018.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients were aged ≥18 years, hospitalised for ACS and received PCI treatment.

OUTCOME MEASURES

AF was diagnosed based on an ECG recording or a Holter monitor. Prescription of OACs and antiplatelets were determined from the discharge medication list.

RESULTS

A total of 3612 patients with ACS were included: 286 (7.9%) were diagnosed with AF, including 45 (1.2%) with paroxysmal AF, 227 (6.3%) with persistent/permanent AF and 14 (0.4%) with unclassified AF. Although 95.5% of patients with AF were at high risk (CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2) of stroke, only 21.7% of them were discharged on OACs (10.5% received warfarin and 11.2% received non-vitamin K antagonist OACs). Patients with pre-admission use of OAC, a HAS-BLED score <3, with persistent/permanent AF were more likely to receive OAC treatment at discharge.

CONCLUSION

We found that approximately 8% of patients who underwent PCI during ACS hospitalisation also demonstrated AF. Anticoagulant therapy was greatly underused. Patients with paroxysmal AF and an increased risk of bleeding were less likely to receive anticoagulant treatment. Further efforts should be made to increase the adherence to guideline recommendations for OACs.

Incidence and prognostic impact of post discharge bleeding post acute coronary syndrome within an outpatient setting: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective was to determine the incidence of bleeding events post acute coronary syndrome (ACS) following hospital discharge. The secondary objective was to determine the prognostic impact of bleeding on mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), myocardial re-infarction and rehospitalisation in the postdischarge setting.

DESIGN

A narrative systematic review.

DATA SOURCE

Medline, Embase, Amed and Central (Cochrane) were searched up to August 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

For the primary objective, randomised controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies reporting on the incidence of bleeding post hospital discharge were included. For the secondary objective, RCTs and observational studies that compared patients with bleeding versus those without bleeding post hospital discharge vis-à-vis mortality, MACE, myocardial re-infarction and rehospitalisation were included.

RESULTS

53 studies (36 observational studies and 17 RCTs) with a combined cohort of 714 458 participants for the primary objectives and 187 317 for the secondary objectives were included. Follow-up ranged from 1 month to just over 4 years. The incidence of bleeding within 12 months post hospital discharge ranged from 0.20% to 37.5% in observational studies and between 0.96% and 39.4% in RCTs. The majority of bleeds occurred in the initial 3 months after hospital discharge with bruising the most commonly reported event. Major bleeding increased the risk of mortality by nearly threefold in two studies. One study showed an increased risk of MACE (HR 3.00,95% CI 2.75 to 3.27; p<0.0001) with bleeding and another study showed a non-significant association with rehospitalisation (HR 1.20,95% CI 0.95 to 1.52; p=0.13).

CONCLUSION

Bleeding complications following ACS management are common and continue to occur in the long term after hospital discharge. These bleeding complications may increase the risk of mortality and MACE, but greater evidence is needed to assess their long-term effects.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017062378.

New-onset or Pre-existing Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Coronary Syndromes: Two Distinct Phenomena With a Similar Prognosis

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The management and risk stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndromes constitute a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of AF whether present at admission or occurring during hospitalization for acute coronary syndromes, as well as trends in treatments and outcome.

METHODS

Data derived from 35 958 patients enrolled between 2004 and 2015 in the AMIS Plus registry were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Pre-existing AF (pre-AF) was present in 1644 (4.7%) while new-onset AF (new-AF) was evident in 309 (0.8%). Presentation with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and need for hemodynamic support was frequent in patients with AF, especially in those with new onset of the arrhythmia. A change of the medical and interventional approaches was observed with a progressive increase in oral anticoagulation prescription and referral for angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions in pre-AF patients. Despite different baseline risk profile and clinical presentations, both AF groups showed high in-hospital and 1-year mortality (in-hospital new-AF vs pre-AF [OR, 0.79; 95%CI, 0.53-1.17; P = .246]; 1-year mortality new-AF vs pre-AF [OR, 0.72; 95%CI, 0.31-1.67; P = .448]) Pre-AF but not new-AF independently predicted in-hospital mortality. While mortality declined over the study period for patients with pre-AF, it remained stable among new-AF patients.

CONCLUSIONS

While pre-AF is independently associated with in-hospital mortality, new-AF may reflect a worse hemodynamic impact of the acute coronary syndromes, with the latter ultimately driving the prognosis.

Atrial fibrillation in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction: analysis of the china acute myocardial infarction (CAMI) registry

Background

The incidence, clinical outcomes and antithrombotic treatment spectrum of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been well studied in Chinese population.

Methods

Twenty-six thousand five hundred ninety-two consecutive patients diagnosed with AMI were enrolled in CAMI registry from January 2013 to September 2014. After excluding 343 patients with uncertain AF status and 1,591 patients transferred out during hospitalization, 24,658 patients were finally included in this study and involved in analysis.

Results

In the CAMI registry, 740 (3.0%) patients were recorded with AF prevalence during hospitalization. Higher-risk baseline clinical profile was observed in patients with AF. These patients were less likely to receive reperfusion/revascularization than those without AF. The in-hospital mortality (including death and treatment withdrawal) was significantly higher in patients with AF than that of without AF (25.2% vs. 7.2%, respectively; p < 0.01). The case of composite of adverse events was similar, which included death, treatment withdrawal, re-infarction, heart failure or stroke (42.1% vs. 16.0%, p <0.01). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, AF was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.27–2.78) and the composite of adverse events (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% CI: 1.63–2.72). Only 5.1% of patients with AF were treated with warfarin, and 1.7% were treated with both warfarin and dual antiplatelet therapy.

Conclusions

The analysis was based on the CAMI registry in China. The patients hospitalized for AMI who developed AF were at significantly higher risk for in-hospital mortality and other adverse events. However, the anticoagulants including warfarin have been largely underused post hospital discharge.

Trial registration

Clinical Trial Registration: Identifier: NCT01874691.

Multiple Chronic Conditions in Older Adults with Acute Coronary Syndromes

Older adults presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) often have multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). In addition to traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (ie, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes), common CV comorbidities include heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation, whereas prevalent non-CV comorbidities include chronic kidney disease, anemia, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The presence of MCCs affects the presentation (eg, increased frequency of type 2 myocardial infarctions [MIs]), clinical course, and prognosis of ACS in older adults. In general, higher comorbidity burden increases mortality following MI, reduces utilization of ACS treatments, and increases the importance of developing individualized treatment plans.