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Boriani G, Gerra L, Mei DA, Bonini N, Vitolo M, Proietti M, Imberti JF. Detection of subclinical atrial fibrillation with cardiac implanted electronic devices: What decision making on anticoagulation after the NOAH and ARTESiA trials? Eur J Intern Med 2024; 123:37-41. [PMID: 38281819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) may be asymptomatic and the extensive monitoring capabilities of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) revealed asymptomatic atrial tachi-arrhythmias of short duration (minutes-hours) occurring in patients with no prior history of AF and without AF detection at a conventional surface ECG. Both the terms "AHRE" (Atrial High-Rate Episodes) and subclinical AF were used in a series of prior studies, that evidenced the association with an increased risk of stroke. Two randomized controlled studies were planned in order to assess the risk-benefit profile of anticoagulation in patients with AHRE/subclinical AF: the NOAH and ARTESiA trials. The results of these two trials (6548 patients enrolled, overall) show that the risk of stroke/systemic embolism associated with AHRE/subclinical AF is in the range of 1-1.2 % per patient-year, but with an important proportion of severe/fatal strokes occurring in non-anticoagulated patients. The apparent discordance between ARTESiA and NOAH results may be approached by considering the related study-level meta-analysis, which highlights a consistent reduction of ischemic stroke with oral anticoagulants vs. aspirin/placebo (relative risk [RR] 0.68, 95 % CI 0.50-0.92). Oral anticoagulation was found to increase major bleeding (RR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.05-2.5), but no difference was found in fatal bleeding (RR 0.79, 95 % CI 0.37-1.69). Additionally, no difference was found in cardiovascular death or all-cause mortality. Taking into account these results, clinical decision-making for patients with AHRE/subclinical AF at risk of stroke, according to CHA2DS2-VASc, can now be evidence-based, considering the benefits and related risks of oral anticoagulants, to be shared with appropriately informed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Boriani
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy.
| | - Luigi Gerra
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Davide A Mei
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Niccolo' Bonini
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vitolo
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Proietti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Subacute Care IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo F Imberti
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Boriani G, Tartaglia E, Imberti JF. A call to action: The need to apply guidelines recommendations with ABC or SOS to improve stroke prevention and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Eur J Intern Med 2024; 122:42-44. [PMID: 38310009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2024.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Boriani
- Department of Biomedical, Cardiology Division, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy.
| | - Enrico Tartaglia
- Department of Biomedical, Cardiology Division, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Jacopo F Imberti
- Department of Biomedical, Cardiology Division, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Italy University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Boriani G, Bonini N, Vitolo M, Mei DA, Imberti JF, Gerra L, Romiti GF, Corica B, Proietti M, Diemberger I, Dan GA, Potpara T, Lip GY. Asymptomatic vs. symptomatic atrial fibrillation: Clinical outcomes in heart failure patients. Eur J Intern Med 2024; 119:53-63. [PMID: 37758565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2023.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The outcome implications of asymptomatic vs. symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) in specific groups of patients according to clinical heart failure (HF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) need to be clarified. METHODS In a prospective observational study, patients were categorized according to overt HF with LVEF≤40 %, or with LVEF>40 %, or without overt HF with LVEF40 %≤ or > 40 %, as well as according to the presence of asymptomatic or symptomatic AF. RESULTS A total of 8096 patients, divided into 8 groups according to HF and LVEF, were included with similar proportions of asymptomatic AF (ranging from 43 to 48 %). After a median follow-up of 730 [699 -748] days, the composite outcome (all-cause death and MACE) was significantly worse for patients with asymptomatic AF associated with HF and reduced LVEF vs. symptomatic AF patients of the same group (p = 0.004). On adjusted Cox regression analysis, asymptomatic AF patients with HF and reduced LVEF were independently associated with a higher risk for the composite outcome (aHR 1.32, 95 % CI 1.04-1.69) and all-cause death (aHR 1.33, 95 % CI 1.02-1.73) compared to symptomatic AF patients with HF and reduced LVEF. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that HF-LVEF≤40 % asymptomatic patients had the highest cumulative incidence of all-cause death and MACE (p < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS In a large European cohort of AF patients, the risk of the composite outcome at 2 years was not different between asymptomatic and symptomatic AF in the whole cohort but adverse implications for poor outcomes were found for asymptomatic AF in HF with LVEF≤40 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Boriani
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy.
| | - Niccolo' Bonini
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Vitolo
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Davide A Mei
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy; Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jacopo F Imberti
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy; Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Luigi Gerra
- Cardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Via del Pozzo, 71, Modena 41124, Italy
| | - Giulio Francesco Romiti
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza - University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Bernadette Corica
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza - University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Proietti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Subacute Care, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Milan, Italy
| | - Igor Diemberger
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Institute of Cardiology, University of Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gheorghe-Andrei Dan
- 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine, Colentina University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Tatjana Potpara
- School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia; Cardiology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, Intensive Arrhythmia Care, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Gregory Yh Lip
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Danish Center for Health Services Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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