Effects of dabigatran according to age in atrial fibrillation

Safety outcomes of direct oral anticoagulants in older adults with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of (subgroup analyses from) randomized controlled trials

Balancing stroke prevention and risk of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are by now considered standard of care for treating patients with AF in international guidelines. Our objective was to assess the safety of long-term intake of DOACs in older adults with AF. We included RCTs in elderly (≥ 65 years) patients with AF. A systematic search in MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed on 19 April 2022. For determination of risk of bias, the RoB 2 tool was applied. We pooled outcomes using random-effects meta-analyses. The quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Eleven RCTs with a total of 63,374 patients were identified. Two RCTs compared apixaban with either warfarin or aspirin, four edoxaban with either placebo, aspirin, or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), two dabigatran with warfarin and three rivaroxaban with warfarin. DOACs probably reduce mortality in elderly patients with AF (HR 0.89 95%CI 0.77 to 1.02). Low-dose DOACs likely reduce bleeding compared to VKAs (HR ranged from 0.47 to 1.01). For high-dose DOACS the risk of bleeding varied widely (HR ranged from 0.80 to 1.40). We found that low-dose DOACs probably decrease mortality in AF patients. Moreover, apixaban and probably edoxaban are associated with fewer major or clinically relevant bleeding (MCRB) events compared to VKAs. For dabigatran and rivaroxaban, the risk of MCRB varies depending on dose. Moreover, subgroup analyses indicate that in the very old (≥ 85) the risk for MCRB events might be increased when using DOACs.Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020187876.

Design, expression and biological evaluation of DX-88mut as a novel selective factor XIa inhibitor for antithrombosis

Thrombotic diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and deep vein thrombosis, severely threaten human health, and anticoagulation is an effective way to prevent such illnesses. However, most anticoagulant drugs in the clinic have different bleeding risks. Previous studies have shown that coagulation factor XI is an ideal target for safe anticoagulant drug development. Here, we designed the FXIa inhibitory peptide DX-88mut by replacing Loop1 (DGPCRAAHPR) and Loop2 (IYGGC) in DX-88, which is a clinical drug targeting PKa for the treatment of hereditary angioedema, using Loop1 (TGPCRAMISR) and Loop2 (FYGGC) in the FXIa inhibitory peptide PN2KPI, respectively. DX-88mut selectively inhibited FXIa against a panel of serine proteases with an IC50 value of 14.840 ± 0.453 nM, dose-dependently prolonged APTT in mouse, rat and human plasma, and potently inhibited FeCl3-induced carotid artery thrombosis in mice at a dose of 1 µmol/kg. Additionally, DX-88mut did not show a significant bleeding risk at a dose of 5 µmol/kg. Taken together, these results show that DX-88mut is a potential candidate for the development of a novel antithrombotic agent.

Selection of Non-vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Based on Patient Profile: Perspectives from Vietnamese Experts. Part 2

Part 1 of this review provided an overview of AF in Vietnam, with a particular focus on primary and secondary stroke prevention. Part 2 explores the management of AF in special, high-risk and clinically common patient populations, including those with renal impairment, diabetes, the elderly, and those with coronary artery disease. Furthermore, Part 2 addresses the challenges posed by patients with AF who have a bioprosthetic valve, a group situated in a grey area of consideration. Managing AF in these patient groups presents unique clinical challenges that require careful consideration. Physicians are tasked with addressing specific clinical questions to identify the optimal anticoagulation strategy for each individual. To inform these decisions, subgroup analyses from pivotal studies are presented alongside real-world data derived from clinical practice. By synthesising available information and considering the nuanced clinical context, the aim is to provide informed perspectives that align with current medical knowledge and contribute to the enhancement of patient care in these challenging scenarios.

Clinical outcomes in elderly atrial fibrillation patients at increased bleeding risk treated with very low dose vs. regular-dose non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: a nationwide cohort study

AIMS

The Edoxaban Low-Dose for Elder Care Atrial Fibrillation Patients (ELDERCARE-AF) trial showed that edoxaban at a very low dosage (VLD) of 15 mg/day was more effective than a placebo at preventing stroke/systemic embolism without significantly increasing the risk of serious bleeding. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety for VLD non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) [edoxaban 15 mg o.d., dabigatran 110 or 150 o.d., apixaban 2.5 mg o.d., or rivaroxaban 10 mg (without the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease) or <10 mg o.d.] vs. regular-dosage (RD) NOACs (edoxaban 60/30 mg o.d. or other labeling-dosage NOACs) among a real-world cohort of elderly atrial fibrillation (AF) population similar to the ELDERCARE-AF cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this nationwide retrospective cohort study from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), we identified a total of 7294 and 4151 consecutive AF patients aged 80 years or older with a CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years or older, diabetes mellitus, previous stroke/transient ischemic attack (2 points) score ≥2 who met the enrollment criteria (generally similar to ELDERCARE-AF) taking VLD and RD NOACs from 1 June 2012 to 31 December 2019, respectively. Propensity-score stabilized weighting (PSSW) was used to balance covariates across study groups. Patients were followed up from the first date of prescription for NOACs until the first occurrence of any study outcome, death, or until the end date of the study period (31 December 2020). After PSSW, VLD NOAC was associated with a comparable risk of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding but a higher risk of major adverse limb events (MALEs) requiring lower limb revascularization or amputation [hazard ratio (HR): 1.54, 95% confidential interval (CI): 1.09-2.18; P = 0.014), venous thrombosis (HR: 3.75, 95% CI: 1.56-8.97; P = 0.003), and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15-1.29; P <0.001) compared with RD NOACs. VLD NOACs showed worse outcomes in most net clinical outcome (NCO) benefits. The main result was consistent based on on-treatment analysis or accounting for death as a competing risk. In general, the advantage of NCOs for the RD NOACs over VLD NOACs persisted in most high-risk subgroups, consistent with the main analysis (P for interaction > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Use of VLD NOACs was associated with a greater risk of arterial and venous thrombosis, death as well as the composite outcomes, when compared with that of RD NOAC in high-risk elderly AF patients at increased bleeding risk. Thromboprophylaxis with RD NOAC is still preferable over VLD NOAC for the majority of elderly AF patients at increased bleeding risk.

Managing older people with atrial fibrillation and preventing stroke: a review of anticoagulation approaches

INTRODUCTION

Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are the cornerstone of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), but prescribing decisions in older people are complicated. Clinicians must assess the net clinical benefit of OAC in the context of multiple chronic conditions, polypharmacy, frailty and life expectancy. The under-representation of high-risk, older adult sub-populations in clinical trials presents the challenge of choosing the right OAC, where a 'one-size-fits-all' approach cannot be taken.

AREAS COVERED

This review discusses OAC approaches for stroke prevention in older people with AF and presents a prescribing aid to support clinicians' decision-making. High-risk older adults with multiple chronic conditions, specifically chronic kidney disease, dementia/cognitive impairment, previous stroke/transient ischemic attack or intracranial hemorrhage, polypharmacy, frailty, low body weight, high falls risk, and those aged ≥75 years are considered.

EXPERT OPINION

Non-vitamin K antagonist OACs are the preferred first-line OAC in older adults with AF, including high-risk subpopulations, after individual assessment of stroke and bleeding risk, except those with mechanical heart valves and moderate-to-severe mitral stenosis. Head-to-head comparisons of NOACs are not available, therefore the choice of drug (and dose) should be based on an individual's risk (stroke and bleeding) and incorporate their treatment preferences. Treatment decisions must be person-centered and principles of shared decision-making applied.

EHRA expert consensus document on the management of arrhythmias in frailty syndrome, endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), Latin America Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS), and Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa (CASSA)

There is an increasing proportion of the general population surviving to old age with significant chronic disease, multi-morbidity, and disability. The prevalence of pre-frail state and frailty syndrome increases exponentially with advancing age and is associated with greater morbidity, disability, hospitalization, institutionalization, mortality, and health care resource use. Frailty represents a global problem, making early identification, evaluation, and treatment to prevent the cascade of events leading from functional decline to disability and death, one of the challenges of geriatric and general medicine. Cardiac arrhythmias are common in advancing age, chronic illness, and frailty and include a broad spectrum of rhythm and conduction abnormalities. However, no systematic studies or recommendations on the management of arrhythmias are available specifically for the elderly and frail population, and the uptake of many effective antiarrhythmic therapies in these patients remains the slowest. This European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document focuses on the biology of frailty, common comorbidities, and methods of assessing frailty, in respect to a specific issue of arrhythmias and conduction disease, provide evidence base advice on the management of arrhythmias in patients with frailty syndrome, and identifies knowledge gaps and directions for future research.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Stroke Prevention in Special Populations: Beyond the Clinical Trials

Currently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are the first-line anticoagulant strategy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). They are characterized by a more favorable pharmacological profile than warfarin, having demonstrated equal efficacy in stroke prevention and greater safety in terms of intracranial bleeding. The study population in the randomized trials of DOACs was highly selected, so the results of these trials cannot be extended to specific populations such as obese, elderly, frail, and cancer patients, which, on the other hand, are sub-populations widely represented in clinical practice. Furthermore, due to the negative results of DOAC administration in patients with mechanical heart valves, the available evidence in subjects with biological heart valves is still few and often controversial. We sought to review the available literature on the efficacy and safety of DOACs in elderly, obese, underweight, frail, cancer patients, and in patients with bioprosthetic heart valves with NVAF to clarify the best anticoagulant strategy in these special and poorly studied subpopulations.

Optimal stroke preventive strategy for patients aged 80 years or older with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review with traditional and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

An optimal antithrombotic strategy for patients aged 80 years or older with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains elusive.

OBJECTIVE

Using a systematic review with traditional and network meta-analysis, we investigated outcomes in AF patients ≥80 years treated with different antithrombotic strategies.

METHODS

We searched eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from inception to 16 December 2021. Research comparing treatment outcomes of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), aspirin, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or no oral anticoagulant/placebo therapy in patients ≥80 years with AF were included. Outcomes were stroke or systemic embolism (SSE), major bleeding, all-cause mortality, intracranial bleeding (ICH) and gastrointestinal bleeding. Traditional and network meta-analyses were performed. Net clinical benefit integrating SSE and major bleeding was calculated.

RESULTS

Fifty-three studies were identified for analysis. In the meta-analysis of RCTs, risk of SSE (risk ratio [RR]: 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.99) and ICH (RR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.28-0.52) was significantly reduced when NOACs were compared with VKAs. Network meta-analysis of RCTs demonstrated that edoxaban (P-score: 0.8976) and apixaban (P-score: 0.8528) outperformed other antithrombotic therapies by showing a lower major bleeding risk and better net clinical benefit. Both traditional and network meta-analyses from RCTs combining with observational studies showed consistent results.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients aged 80 years or older with AF, NOACs have better outcomes than VKAs regarding efficacy and safety profiles. Edoxaban and apixaban may be preferred treatment options since they are safer than other antithrombotic strategies.

Antithrombotic Therapy in Elderly Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes

The treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in elderly patients continues to be a challenge because of the characteS.G.B.ristics of this population and the lack of data and specific recommendations. This review summarizes the current evidence about critical points of oral antithrombotic therapy in elderly patients. To this end, we discuss the peculiarities and differences reported referring to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in ACS management in elderly patients and what might be the best option considering these population characteristics. Furthermore, we analyze antithrombotic strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), with a particular focus on those cases that also present coronary artery disease (CAD). It is imperative to deepen our knowledge regarding the management of these challenging patients through real-world data and specifically designed geriatric studies to help resolve the questions remaining in their disease management.

Effect of 15-mg Edoxaban on Clinical Outcomes in 3 Age Strata in Older Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Prespecified Subanalysis of the ELDERCARE-AF Randomized Clinical Trial

Question

Is very low-dose edoxaban (15 mg daily) beneficial among Japanese patients aged 80 to 84 years, 85 to 89 years, and 90 years or older who are not considered candidates for standard-dose oral anticoagulants because of high bleeding risk?

Findings

In this prespecified subanalysis of the randomized clinical trial Edoxaban Low-Dose for Elder Care Atrial Fibrillation Patients (ELDERCARE–AF) of 984 patients, results showed that very low-dose edoxaban reduced the incidence of stroke or systemic embolism consistently across these 3 age strata, with a numerically higher risk of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding that did not reach statistical significance.

Meaning

Very low-dose edoxaban may be considered for reduction of stroke or systemic embolism in older Japanese patients with AF who are at high risk of bleeding.

Importance

Long-term use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) is necessary for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The effectiveness and safety of OACs in extremely older patients (ie, aged 80 years or older) with AF and at high risk of bleeding needs to be elucidated.

Objective

To examine the effects of very low-dose edoxaban (15 mg) vs placebo across 3 age strata (80-84 years, 85-89 years, and ≥90 years) among patients with AF who were a part of the Edoxaban Low-Dose for Elder Care Atrial Fibrillation Patients (ELDERCARE–AF) trial.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prespecified subanalysis of a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted from August 5, 2016, to December 27, 2019. Patients with AF aged 80 years or older who were not considered candidates for standard-dose OACs were included in the study; reasons these patients could not take standard-dose OACs included low creatinine clearance (<30 mL per minute), low body weight (≤45 kg), history of bleeding from critical organs, continuous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or concomitant use of antiplatelet drugs. Eligible patients were recruited randomly from 164 hospitals in Japan and were randomly assigned 1:1 to edoxaban or placebo.

Interventions

Edoxaban (15 mg once daily) or placebo.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary efficacy end point was the composite of stroke or systemic embolism. The primary safety end point was International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis–defined major bleeding.

Results

A total of 984 patients (mean [SD] age: age group 80-84 years, 82.2 [1.4] years; age group 85-89 years, 86.8 [1.4] years; age group ≥90 years, 92.3 [2.1] years; 565 women [57.4%]) were included in this study. In the placebo group, estimated (SE) event rates for stroke or systemic embolism increased with age and were 3.9% (1.2%) per patient-year in the group aged 80 to 84 years (n = 181), 7.3% (1.7%) per patient-year in the group aged 85 to 89 years (n = 184), and 10.1% (2.5%) per patient-year in the group aged 90 years or older (n = 127). A 15-mg dose of edoxaban consistently decreased the event rates for stroke or systemic embolism with no interaction with age (80-84 years, hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.13-1.31; P = .13; 85-89 years, HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.17-0.99; P = .05; ≥90 years, HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08-0.68; P = .008; interaction P = .65). Major bleeding and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events were numerically higher with edoxaban, but the differences did not reach statistical significance, and there was no interaction with age. There was no difference in the event rate for all-cause death between the edoxaban and placebo groups in all age strata.

Conclusions and Relevance

Results of this subanalysis of the ELDERCARE–AF randomized clinical trial revealed that among Japanese patients aged 80 years or older with AF who were not considered candidates for standard OACs, a once-daily 15-mg dose of edoxaban was superior to placebo in preventing stroke or systemic embolism consistently across all 3 age strata, including those aged 90 years or older, albeit with a higher but nonstatistically significant incidence of bleeding.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02801669

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in older and frail patients with atrial fibrillation

Elderly and frail patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at increased risk of thrombotic events, bleeding, and death compared to their counterparts, making their management challenging. With the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist (VKA) oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in the past decade, the risk:benefit balance in such high-risk patients with AF has tipped in favor of treating these patients with anticoagulation, and in most cases with a NOAC instead of a VKA. In patients ≥75 years of age with AF, each of the 4 approved NOACs reduced stroke or systemic embolism and vs warfarin in their landmark clinical trial and lowered mortality. However, only apixaban and edoxaban significantly reduced major bleeding vs warfarin. A similar pattern was seen in even older cohorts (≥80 and ≥85 years). Among patients age ≥80 who are not candidates for oral anticoagulants at the approved dose, edoxaban 15 mg may be a reasonable alternative. In elderly or frail individuals who are on multiple comedications (particularly if ≥1 moderate or strong cytochrome P-450 inhibitor), only edoxaban consistently reduced major bleeding compared to warfarin. Regardless of the specific OAC selected, appropriate dosing in the elderly (who frequently qualify for dose reduction per the prescribing label) is critical. In elderly and frail patients with AF, factors that may modify the efficacy-safety profile of specific oral OACs should be carefully considered to permit the optimal selection and dosing in these vulnerable patients.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Patient-Level Network Meta-Analyses of Randomized Clinical Trials With Interaction Testing by Age and Sex

BACKGROUND

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are preferred over warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Meta-analyses using individual patient data offer substantial advantages over study-level data.

METHODS

We used individual patient data from the COMBINE AF (A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Atrial Fibrillation) database, which includes all patients randomized in the 4 pivotal trials of DOACs versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation (RE-LY [Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy], ROCKET AF [Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation], ARISTOTLE [Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation], and ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 [Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48]), to perform network meta-analyses using a stratified Cox model with random effects comparing standard-dose DOAC, lower-dose DOAC, and warfarin. Hazard ratios (HRs [95% CIs]) were calculated for efficacy and safety outcomes. Covariate-by-treatment interaction was estimated for categorical covariates and for age as a continuous covariate, stratified by sex.

RESULTS

A total of 71 683 patients were included (29 362 on standard-dose DOAC, 13 049 on lower-dose DOAC, and 29 272 on warfarin). Compared with warfarin, standard-dose DOACs were associated with a significantly lower hazard of stroke or systemic embolism (883/29 312 [3.01%] versus 1080/29 229 [3.69%]; HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.74-0.89]), death (2276/29 312 [7.76%] versus 2460/29 229 [8.42%]; HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.87-0.97]), and intracranial bleeding (184/29 270 [0.63%] versus 409/29 187 [1.40%]; HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.37-0.56]), but no statistically different hazard of major bleeding (1479/29 270 [5.05%] versus 1733/29 187 [5.94%]; HR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.74-1.01]), whereas lower-dose DOACs were associated with no statistically different hazard of stroke or systemic embolism (531/13 049 [3.96%] versus 1080/29 229 [3.69%]; HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.95-1.19]) but a lower hazard of intracranial bleeding (55/12 985 [0.42%] versus 409/29 187 [1.40%]; HR, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.21-0.37]), death (1082/13 049 [8.29%] versus 2460/29 229 [8.42%]; HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.83-0.97]), and major bleeding (564/12 985 [4.34%] versus 1733/29 187 [5.94%]; HR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.45-0.88]). Treatment effects for standard- and lower-dose DOACs versus warfarin were consistent across age and sex for stroke or systemic embolism and death, whereas standard-dose DOACs were favored in patients with no history of vitamin K antagonist use (P=0.01) and lower creatinine clearance (P=0.09). For major bleeding, standard-dose DOACs were favored in patients with lower body weight (P=0.02). In the continuous covariate analysis, younger patients derived greater benefits from standard-dose (interaction P=0.02) and lower-dose DOACs (interaction P=0.01) versus warfarin.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with warfarin, DOACs have more favorable efficacy and safety profiles among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Impact of a Patient's Baseline Risk on the Relative Benefit and Harm of a Preventive Treatment Strategy: Applying Trial Results in Clinical Decision Making

Background For translating an overall trial result into an individual patient's expected absolute treatment effect, differences in relative treatment effect between patients need to be taken into account. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether relative treatment effects of medication in 2 large contemporary trials are influenced by multivariable baseline risk of an individual patient. Methods and Results In 9361 patients from SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial), risk of major adverse cardiovascular events was assessed using a newly derived risk model. In 18 133 patients from the RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy) trial, risk of stroke or systemic embolism and major bleeding was assessed using the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field-Atrial Fibrillation risk model. Heterogeneity of trial treatment effect was assessed using Cox models of trial allocation, model linear predictor, and their interaction. There was no significant interaction between baseline risk and relative treatment effect from intensive blood pressure lowering in SPRINT (P=0.92) or from dabigatran compared with warfarin for stroke or systemic embolism in the RE-LY trial (P=0.71). There was significant interaction between baseline risk and treatment effect from dabigatran versus warfarin in the RE-LY trial (P<0.001) for major bleeding. Quartile-specific hazard ratios for bleeding ranged from 0.40 (95% CI, 0.26-0.61) to 1.04 (95% CI, 0.83-1.03) for dabigatran, 110 mg, and from 0.61 (95% CI, 0.42-0.88) to 1.20 (95% CI, 0.97-1.50) for dabigatran, 150 mg, compared with warfarin. Conclusions Effect modification of relative treatment effect by individual baseline event risk should be assessed systematically in randomized clinical trials using multivariate risk prediction, not only in terms of treatment efficacy but also for important treatment harms, as a prespecified analysis. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01206062.

Drug interactions of direct oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with cardiometabolic diseases

In the present review we summarized current knowledge about significant interactions (DIs) of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with other medications frequently prescribed to elderly patients with cardiometabolic diseases.

Literature search was performed using PubMed from 1990 to October 2020. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), subgroup analyses from RCTs, longitudinal studies, case series and case reports were included. Only studies in humans were considered. Elderly was defined as ≥75 years.

Assessment of DIs with DOACs is often tricky because of the lack of validated tools to routinely assess magnitude of their anti-coagulation effect. Most of reports in the cardiometabolic area regarded the classes of anti-antiarrhythmic, lipid-lowering and platelet-inhibitors drugs, namely drugs that are widely used to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with common metabolic diseases. Reports about elderly are limited in general, and it is not known whether certain types of DIs occur more frequently in elderly subjects. DIs were more frequently reported in association with dabigatran, which however has been available for a longer period of time compared with other DOACs. In most cases, no complete information about dosages of medications was available. DIs of DOACs leading to adverse events (both ischemic and bleeding ones) were generally facilitated by older age, polymedication and impaired renal function.

Further studies should be carried out to properly investigate DIs of DOACs with cardiometabolic drugs in elderly patients, with particular focus on differences between DOACs and the influence of different dosages.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants versus Warfarin in Octogenarians with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been demonstrated to be more effective and safer than vitamin-K antagonist (VKA) for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). This meta-analysis aims to assess the effect of DOACS vs. VKA in patients ≥ 80 and AF. Primary endpoints were stroke or systemic embolism and all-cause death. Secondary endpoints included major bleeding, intracranial bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding. A random-effects model was selected due to significant heterogeneity. A total of 147,067 patients from 16 studies were included, 71,913 (48.90%) treated with DOACs and 75,154 with VKA (51.10%). The stroke rate was significantly lower in DOACs group compared with warfarin group (Relative risk (RR): 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.63-0.82; p < 0.001). All-cause mortality was significantly lower in DOACs group compared with warfarin group (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70-0.96; p = 0.012). Compared to warfarin, DOACs were not associated with reductions in major bleeding (RR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.69-1.04; p = 0.108) or gastrointestinal bleeding risk (RR: 1.08, 95% CI 0.76-1.53; p = 0.678) but a 43% reduction of intracranial bleeding (RR: 0.47, IC 95% 0.36-0.60; p < 0.001) was observed. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that DOACs are effective and safe with statistical superiority when compared with warfarin in octogenarians with AF.

Oral Anticoagulants in the Oldest Old with Recent Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the safety and effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA) after recent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) aged ≥85 years.

METHODS

Individual patient data analysis from seven prospective stroke cohorts. We compared DOAC versus VKA treatment among patients with AF and recent stroke (<3 months) aged ≥85 versus <85 years. Primary outcome was the composite of recurrent stroke, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and all-cause death. We used simple, adjusted, and weighted Cox regression to account for confounders. We calculated the net benefit of DOAC versus VKA by balancing stroke reduction against the weighted ICH risk.

RESULTS

In total, 5,984 of 6,267 (95.5%) patients were eligible for analysis. Of those, 1,380 (23%) were aged ≥85 years and 3,688 (62%) received a DOAC. During 6,874 patient-years follow-up, the impact of anticoagulant type (DOAC versus VKA) on the hazard for the composite outcome did not differ between patients aged ≥85 (HR_≥85y  = 0.65, 95%-CI [0.52, 0.81]) and < 85 years (HR_<85y  = 0.79, 95%-CI [0.66, 0.95]) in simple (p_interaction  = 0.129), adjusted (p_interaction  = 0.094) or weighted (p_interaction  = 0.512) models. Analyses on recurrent stroke, ICH and death separately were consistent with the primary analysis, as were sensitivity analyses using age dichotomized at 90 years and as a continuous variable. DOAC had a similar net clinical benefit in patients aged ≥85 (+1.73 to +2.66) and < 85 years (+1.90 to +3.36 events/100 patient-years for ICH-weights 1.5 to 3.1).

INTERPRETATION

The favorable profile of DOAC over VKA in patients with AF and recent stroke was maintained in the oldest old. ANN NEUROL 2021.

Optimizing prognosis in atrial fibrillation: A call to action in Portugal

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in the adult population worldwide, represents a significant burden in terms of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and has repercussions on health economics. Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is key to stroke prevention in AF and, in recent years, results from landmark clinical trials of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have triggered a paradigm shift in thrombocardiology. Despite these advances, there is still a significant residual vascular risk associated with silent AF, bleeding, premature sudden death and heart failure. The authors review AF epidemiologic data, the importance of new tools for early AF detection, the current role of catheter ablation for rhythm control in AF, the state-of-the-art in periprocedural OAC, the optimal management of major bleeding, the causes of residual premature death and future strategies for improvements in AF prognosis.

Comparison of Low-Dose Direct Acting Anticoagulant and Warfarin in patients Aged ≥80 years With Atrial Fibrillation

Low dose direct acting oral anticoagulants (LDDOACS) were approved for elderly atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients with limited information. A retrospective analysis collecting baseline characteristics and outcomes in AF patients ≥ 80 prescribed LDDOAC or warfarin (W), from a multidisciplinary practice between 1/1/11 (First LDDOAC available) and 5/31/17 was conducted. From 9660 AF patients, 514 ≥ 80 received a LDDOAC and 422 W. A multivariable comparison found LDDOAC patients were older (p <0.001), had lower creatinine clearance (CrCl) (p = 0.006), used more anti-platelet drugs (p <0.001), and more often had new onset AF verses those prescribed W (p <0.001). There were no clinically significant differences among those patients receiving Dabigatran 75 mgs BID (D), Rivaroxaban 15mgs (R) or Apixaban 2.5mgs BID (A). Forty-eight and 50% of the patients remained on their LDDOAC or W for the observation period (p = 0.55). Stroke/systemic embolism (SSE) and CNS bleeds were 1.16 vs 2.22%/yr., (p = 0.143) and 1.46 vs 0.93%/yr., (p = 0.24). Mortality and major bleeds were 6.26 vs 1.67%/yr., and 12.3vs 3.77%/yr. (p <0.001). SSE were 1.1%/yr for D, R, and A (p = 0.94). CNS bleeds were 2.2 for D, 1.7 for R and 0.8%/yr. for A: p = 0.53. Major bleeding was: 14.3 for D, 14.1 for R and 9.1%/yr. for A, p = 0.048 (with A < R, p = 0.01). Mortality was 5.5 for D, 4.2 for R and 9.5% for A, p = 0.031. In conclusion, half the patients remained on their assigned anti-coagulant. SSE and intracranial bleed rates were similar and low. Major bleeds and deaths were different between groups emphasizing the need for prospective randomized trials in this growing population with AF.

Clinical Outcomes of Very Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving On-label Doses of Apixaban: J-ELD AF Registry Subanalysis

Background

Increasing age predisposes patients with atrial fibrillation to both thromboembolic and bleeding events; however, data on outcomes of very elderly patients (aged ≥85 years) receiving appropriate antithrombotic therapy are still limited.

Methods and Results

The J‐ELD AF (Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study to Investigate the Effectiveness and Safety of Apixaban in Japanese Elderly Atrial Fibrillation Patients) Registry is a multicenter prospective observational study of Japanese patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation aged ≥75 years taking on‐label doses (standard dose of 5 mg BID or reduced dose of 2.5 mg BID) of apixaban. The entire cohort (3031 patients from 110 institutions) was divided into 3 age groups: 75 to 79 years (n=1068, 35.2%), 80 to 84 years (n=1120, 37.0%), and ≥85 years (n=843, 27.8%). The event incidence rates (/100 person‐years) were 1.40, 1.55, and 1.95 for stroke or systemic embolism (log‐rank P=0.65); 1.70, 1.55, and 2.61 for bleeding requiring hospitalization (log‐rank P=0.33); 2.09, 2.60, and 5.29 for total deaths (log‐rank P<0.001); and 0.40, 1.06, and 1.55 for cardiovascular deaths (log‐rank P=0.045), respectively. After adjusting for confounders using a Cox regression analysis, age ≥85 years was identified as an independent risk of total death (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.10–3.26 [P=0.022]), but not of stroke or systemic embolism, bleeding requiring hospitalization, or cardiovascular death.

Conclusions

Although mortality increased with age, age ≥85 years was not a significant risk of stroke or systemic embolism, bleeding requiring hospitalization, or cardiovascular death in Japanese patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation taking on‐label doses of apixaban.

Registration

URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr; Unique identifier: UMIN000017895.

Unmet Clinical Needs in Elderly Patients Receiving Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Stroke Prevention in Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Vitamin K antagonists have been used for many years as the treatment of choice for long-term oral anticoagulation in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, the use of those drugs in the real-world setting, particularly among elderly patients, is suboptimal because of their limitations in management. Therefore, many patients were not adequately anticoagulated. Direct oral anticoagulants have been demonstrated to overcome almost all the limitations derived from the use of vitamin K antagonists. Direct oral anticoagulants are at least as effective as vitamin K antagonists in preventing thromboembolic events in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and safer in reducing the risk of intracranial haemorrhage and all-cause mortality. However, as a result of the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria applied to patients, data coming from randomized controlled trials might not apply to the general population. Furthermore, elderly patients were scarcely represented in randomized controlled trials with direct oral anticoagulants. Therefore in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, unmet clinical needs still exist. This review article highlights some of them and provides potential answers based on the results coming from randomized clinical trials, real-world data, and the authors' clinical experience.

Antithrombotic therapy in the elderly and senile age: the consensus opinion of experts of the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians and the National Society of Preventive Cardiology

В данном документе обсуждаются особенности АТТ у лиц пожилого и старческого возраста в различных клинических ситуациях.

Effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVES

To assess the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding associated with the use of oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in a real-world population.

METHODS

We identified all anticoagulant-naive initiators of warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban for the indication AF in Norway between January 2013 and December 2017. Multivariate competing risk regression was used to calculate subhazard ratios (SHRs) describing associations between non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) compared with warfarin for risk of stroke/SE and major bleeding.

RESULTS

Among 30 401 patients ≥75 years identified (median age 82 years, 53% women, mean CHA₂DS₂-VaSc score 4.5), 3857 initiated dabigatran, 6108 rivaroxaban, 13 786 apixaban and 6650 warfarin. Reduced dose was initiated in 11 559 (49%) of the NOAC-treated patients. For stroke, the SHRs for standard dose NOAC against warfarin were 0.80 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.13) for dabigatran; 1.07 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.30) for rivaroxaban and 0.95 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.15) for apixaban. For major bleeding, the SHRs against warfarin were 0.75 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.08) for dabigatran; 0.96 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.16) for rivaroxaban and 0.74 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.91) for apixaban. Comparing reduced doses of NOACs with warfarin yielded similar results. Sensitivity analyses were in accordance with the main results.

CONCLUSION

In this nationwide cohort study of patients ≥75 years initiating oral anticoagulation for AF, standard and reduced dose NOACs were associated with similar risks of stroke/SE as warfarin and lower or similar risks of bleeding. The NOACs seem to be a safe option also in elderly patients.

Frequency, Trend, Predictors, and Impact of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations

Anticoagulation alone or in combination with other treatment strategies are implemented to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common complication of oral anticoagulation with a prevalence of 1% to 3% in patients on long term oral anticoagulation. We analyzed the national inpatient sample database from the year 2005 to 2015 to report evidence on the frequency, trends, predictors, clinical outcomes, and economic burden of GIB among AF hospitalizations. A total of 34,260,000 AF hospitalizations without GIB and 1,846,259 hospitalizations with GIB (5.39%) were included. The trend of AF hospitalizations with GIB per 100 AF hospitalizations remained stable from the year 2005 to 2015 (p value = 0.0562). AF hospitalizations with GIB had a higher frequency of congestive heart failure, long term kidney disease, long term liver disease, anemia, and alcohol abuse compared with AF hospitalizations without GIB. AF hospitalizations with GIB had a higher odds of in-hospital mortality (Odds ratio (OR) 1.47; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.46 to 1.48, p-value <0.0001), mechanical ventilation (OR 1.69; 95% CI: 1.68 to 1.70, p-value <0.0001), and blood transfusion (OR 7.2; 95% CI: 7.17 to 7.22, P-value <0.0001) compared with AF hospitalizations without GIB. AF hospitalizations with GIB had a lower odds of stroke (OR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.51 to 0.52, p-value <0.0001) compared with AF hospitalizations without GIB. Further, AF hospitalizations with GIB had a higher median length of stay and cost of hospitalization compared with AF hospitalizations without GIB. In conclusion, the frequency of GIB is 5.4% in AF hospitalizations and the frequency of GIB remained stable in the last decade as shown in this analysis. When GIB occurs, it is associated with higher resource utilization. This study addresses a significant knowledge gap highlighting national temporal trends of GIB and associated outcomes in AF hospitalizations.

Low Quality of Warfarin Therapy is Associated With Female Gender but Not With Polypharmacy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background: We examined the impact of polypharmacy on the quality of the anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation. We also examined the factors that affect the stability of warfarin therapy.

Methods and Results: This retrospective study was conducted using data from 157 consecutive outpatients with atrial fibrillation in a single tertiary referral hospital. Patients who were prescribed warfarin continuously and for whom PT-INR was examined at least three times in a year were included in this study. We examined the quality of warfarin therapy using time in the therapeutic INR range (TTR), percentage of PT-INR determinations in range (PINRR), and the coefficient variation (CV) of PT-INR. We found that the number of prescribed medicines was significantly associated with high BMI and low eGFR, but not with TTR, PINRR, and the coefficient variation of PT-INR in patients with atrial fibrillation. We also found that female gender was independently associated with low PINRR in this study population.

Conclusion: Polypharmacy did not deteriorate the quality of warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation treated in the tertiary referral hospital. Female gender was an independent predictor of the low quality of warfarin therapy.

Elderly patients with atrial fibrillation in routine clinical practice-peri-procedural management of edoxaban oral anticoagulation therapy is associated with a low risk of bleeding and thromboembolic complications: a subset analysis of the prospective, observational, multinational EMIT-AF study

Background

Annually > 10% of patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation undergo invasive procedures. Optimal peri-procedural management of anticoagulation, as judged by major bleeding and thromboembolic events, especially in the elderly, is still debated.

Methods

Procedures from 1442 patients were evaluated. Peri-procedural edoxaban management was guided only by the experience of the attending physician. The primary safety outcome was the rate of major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included the peri-procedural administration of edoxaban, other bleeding events, and the main efficacy outcome, a composite of acute coronary syndrome, non-hemorrhagic stroke, transient ischemic attack, systemic embolic events, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and mortality.

Results

Of the 1442 patients, 280 (19%) were < 65, 550 (38%) were 65–74, 514 (36%) 75–84, and 98 (7%) were 85 years old or older. With increasing age, comorbidities and risk scores were higher. Any bleeding complications were uncommon across all ages, ranging from 3.9% in patients < 65 to 4.1% in those 85 years or older; major bleeding rates in any age group were ≤ 0.6%. Interruption rates and duration increased with advancing age. Thromboembolic events were more common in the elderly, with all nine events occurring in those > 65, and seven in patients aged > 75 years.

Conclusion

Despite increased bleeding risk factors in the elderly, bleeding rates were small and similar across all age groups. However, there was a trend toward more thromboembolic complications with advancing age. Further efforts to identify the optimal management to reduce ischemic complications are needed.

Trial registration: NCT# 02950168, October 31, 2016

Effectiveness and safety of antithrombotic strategies in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Elderly patients represent a rapidly growing part of the population more susceptible to acute coronary syndromes and their complications. However, literature evidence is lacking in this clinical setting.

AIM

To describe the clinical features, in-hospital management and outcomes of “elderly” patients with myocardial infarction treated with antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation therapy.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients older than 80 years admitted to the Division of Cardiology of St. Andrea Hospital of Vercelli from January 2018 to December 2018 due to ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Clinical and laboratory data were collected for each patient, as well as the prevalence of previous or in-hospital atrial fibrillation (AF). In-hospital management, consisting of an invasive or conservative strategy, and the anti-thrombotic therapy used are described. Outcomes evaluated at 1 year follow-up included an efficacy ischemic endpoint and a safety bleeding endpoint.

RESULTS

Of the 105 patients enrolled (mean age 83.9 ± 3.6 years, 52.3% males), 68 (64.8%) were admitted due to NSTEMI and 37 (35.2%) due to STEMI. Among the STEMI patients, 34 (91.9%) underwent coronary angiography and all of them were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); among the NSTEMI patients, 42 (61.8%) were assigned to an invasive strategy and 16 (38.1%) of them underwent a PCI. No significant difference between the groups was found concerning the prevalence of previous or in-hospital de-novo AF. 10.5% of the whole population received triple antithrombotic therapy and 9.5% single antiplatelet therapy plus oral anticoagulation (OAC), with no significant difference between the subgroups, although a higher number of STEMI patients received dual antiplatelet therapy without OAC as compared with NSTEMI patients. A low rate of in-hospital death (5.7%) and 1-year cardiovascular death (3.3%) was registered. Seven (7.8%) patients experienced major adverse cardiovascular events, while the rate of minor and major bleeding at 1-year follow-up was 10% and 2.2%, respectively, with no difference between NSTEMI and STEMI patients.

CONCLUSION

In this real-world study, a tailored evaluation of an invasive strategy and antithrombotic therapy resulted in a low rate of adverse events in elderly patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction.

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in very elderly east Asians with atrial fibrillation: A nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

The evidence of effectiveness and safety of the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) among elderly East Asians is limited.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to describe the effectiveness and safety outcomes associated with NOACs and warfarin among elderly Koreans aged ≥80 years.

METHODS

Using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment service database, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were naïve to index oral anticoagulant between 2015 and 2017 were included in this study (20,573 for NOACs and 4086 for warfarin). Two treatment groups were balanced using the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method. The clinical outcomes including ischemic stroke, major bleeding including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), and a composite of these outcomes were evaluated.

RESULTS

Compared to warfarin, NOACs were associated with lower risks of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio 0.74 [95% confidence interval 0.62-0.89]), and composite outcome (0.78 [0.69-0.90]). NOACs showed nonsignificant trends towards to lower risks of GIB and major bleeding than warfarin. The risk of ICH of NOAC group was comparable with the warfarin group. Among NOACs, apixaban and edoxaban showed better composite outcomes than warfarin. Among the clinical outcomes, only ischemic stroke and the composite outcome had a significant interaction with age subgroups (80-89 years and ≥90 years, P-for-interaction = .097 and .040, respectively).

CONCLUSION

NOACs were associated with lower risks of ischemic stroke and the composite outcome (ischemic stroke and major bleeding) compared to warfarin in elderly East Asians. Physicians should be more confident in prescribing NOACs to elderly East Asians with AF.

Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Anticoagulants in Older Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objective

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, typically increases with age. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are the cornerstone of treatment to reduce the associated risk for systemic thromboembolism. Four large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are non-inferior to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in preventing stroke and systemic embolism, as well as regarding their risk for major bleeding. However, as vulnerable geriatric patients with AF were largely underrepresented in these trials, physicians are faced with the challenge of choosing the right anticoagulant for geriatric patients in real-life clinical practice. In this vulnerable patient group, NOACs tend to be underused or underdosed due to concerns of excessive fall-related intracranial bleeding, cognitive impairment, multiple drug-drug interactions, low body weight or impaired renal function. As life expectancy continues to rise worldwide, the number of geriatric patients substantially increases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a critical appraisal of the added value of NOACs in geriatric patients with AF at high thromboembolic and bleeding risk.

Methods and Results

This systematic review provides an overview of the literature on the impact of increased age (≥75 years), multimorbidity, polypharmacy, increased falling risk, frailty and dementia on the effectiveness and safety of NOACs as compared to VKAs, after searching the Medline database. Moreover, a meta-analysis on the impact of increased age ≥75 years old was performed after pooling results from 6 post hoc analyses of RCTs and 6 longitudinal observational cohort studies, highlighting the superior effectiveness (hazard ratio (HR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.74–0.94] for stroke/SE; HR 0.77, 95%CI [0.65–0.92] for mortality) and non-inferior safety (HR 0.93, 95%CI [0.86–1.01] for major bleeding; HR 0.58, 95%CI [0.50–0.67] for intracranial bleeding; HR 1.17, 95%CI [0.99–1.38] for gastrointestinal bleeding) of NOACs versus VKAs in older AF patients.

Conclusion

Across geriatric subgroups, apixaban was consistently associated with the most favourable benefit-risk profile and should therefore be preferred in geriatric patients with AF. However, research gaps on the impact of increased falling risk, frailty and baseline dementia were identified, requiring careful consideration while awaiting more results.

Major Bleeding Predictors in Patients with Left Atrial Appendage Closure: The Iberian Registry II

Introduction and objective: Major bleeding events in patients undergoing left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) range from 2.2 to 10.3 per 100 patient-years in different series. This study aimed to clarify the bleeding predictive factors that could influence these differences. Methods: LAAC was performed in 598 patients from the Iberian Registry II (1093 patient-years; median, 75.4 years). We conducted a multivariate analysis to identify predictive risk factors for major bleeding events. The occurrence of thromboembolic and bleeding events was compared to rates expected from CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke history, vascular disease, sex) and HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal renal and liver function, stroke, bleeding, labile INR, elderly, drugs or alcohol) scores. Results: Cox regression analysis revealed that age ≥75 years (HR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.3 to 4.8; p = 0.004) and a history of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) (HR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.9; p = 0.020) were two factors independently associated with major bleeding during follow-up. Patients aged <75 or ≥75 years had median CHA2DS2-VASc scores of 4 (IQR: 2) and 5 (IQR: 2), respectively (p < 0.001) and HAS-BLED scores were 3 (IQR: 1) and 3 (IQR: 1) for each group (p = 0.007). Events presented as follow-up adjusted rates according to age groups were stroke (1.2% vs. 2.9%; HR: 2.4, p = 0.12) and major bleeding (3.7 vs. 9.0 per 100 patient-years; HR: 2.4, p = 0.002). Expected major bleedings according to HAS-BLED scores were 6.2% vs. 6.6%, respectively. In patients with GIB history, major bleeding events were 6.1% patient-years (HAS-BLED score was 3.8 ± 1.1) compared to 2.7% patients-year in patients with no previous GIB history (HAS-BLED score was 3.4 ± 1.2; p = 0.029). Conclusions: In this high-risk population, GIB history and age ≥75 years are the main predictors of major bleeding events after LAAC, especially during the first year. Age seems to have a greater influence on major bleeding events than on thromboembolic risk in these patients.

A Structured Literature Review and International Consensus Validation of FORTA Labels of Oral Anticoagulants for Long-Term Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Patients (OAC-FORTA 2019)

INTRODUCTION

Evidence regarding safety and efficacy of oral anticoagulants for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in older adults has been assessed regarding the age appropriateness of oral anticoagulants (OAC) according to the FORTA (Fit fOR The Aged) classification (OAC-FORTA). Three years after its first version (OAC-FORTA 2016), an update was initiated to create OAC-FORTA 2019.

METHODS

A structured review of randomized controlled clinical trials and summaries of individual product characteristics was performed to detect newly emerged evidence on oral anticoagulants in older patients with AFib. This review was used by an interdisciplinary panel of European experts (N = 10) in a Delphi process to label OACs according to FORTA.

RESULTS

A total of 202 records were identified and 11 studies finally included. We found four new trials providing relevant data on efficacy and safety of warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran or rivaroxaban in older patients with AFib. In the majority of studies comparing the non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) with warfarin, NOACs were superior to warfarin regarding at least one relevant clinical endpoint. The mean consensus coefficient significantly increased from 0.867 (OAC-FORTA 2016) to 0.931 (p < 0.05) and the proposed FORTA classes were confirmed in all cases during the first round (consensus coefficient > 0.8). Warfarin, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban were assigned to the FORTA B label, acenocoumarol, fluindione and phenprocoumon were labeled FORTA C and only apixaban was rated as FORTA A.

CONCLUSION

OAC-FORTA 2019 confirms that AFib can be successfully treated with positively labeled antithrombotics at advanced age.

Antithrombotic Treatment of Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: RE-SPECT ESUS Elderly and Renally Impaired Subgroups

Background and Purpose- The RE-SPECT ESUS trial (Randomized, Double-Blind, Evaluation in Secondary Stroke Prevention Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Thrombin Inhibitor Dabigatran Etexilate Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source) tested the hypothesis that dabigatran would be superior to aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. This exploratory subgroup analysis investigates the impact of age, renal function (both predefined), and dabigatran dose (post hoc) on the rates of recurrent stroke and major bleeding. Methods- RE-SPECT ESUS was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial of dabigatran 150 or 110 mg (for patients aged ≥75 years and/or with creatinine clearance 30 to <50 mL/minute) twice daily compared with aspirin 100 mg once daily. The primary outcome was recurrent stroke. Results- The trial, which enrolled 5390 patients from December 2014 to January 2018, did not demonstrate superiority of dabigatran versus aspirin for prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. However, among the population qualifying for the lower dabigatran dose, the rate of recurrent stroke was reduced with dabigatran versus aspirin (7.4% versus 13.0%; hazard ratio, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.39-0.82]; interaction P=0.01). This was driven mainly by the subgroup aged ≥75 years (7.8% versus 12.4%; hazard ratio, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.43-0.94]; interaction P=0.10). Stroke rates tended to be lower with dabigatran versus aspirin with declining renal function. Risks for major bleeding were similar between treatments, irrespective of renal function, but with a trend for lower bleeding rates with dabigatran versus aspirin in older patients. Conclusions- In subgroup analyses of RE-SPECT ESUS, dabigatran reduced the rate of recurrent stroke compared with aspirin in patients qualifying for the lower dose of dabigatran. These results are hypothesis-generating. Aspirin remains the standard antithrombotic treatment for patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02239120.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Octogenarians With Atrial Fibrillation: It Is Never Too Late

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, and age is one of the strongest predictors/risk factors for ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Elderly patients, in particular patients aged 80 years and older, are at higher risk of both ischemic and bleeding events compared with younger patients. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) reduce the risk of ischemic stroke, especially in the elderly, but increase the bleeding risk. In addition, frequent international normalized ratio monitoring is needed to ensure the optimal level of anticoagulation. Furthermore, VKAs have multiple drug and food interactions. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have recently emerged as alternatives to VKAs and are gradually increasing their popularity mainly because of their fewer drug and food interactions and ease of use. Their effectiveness and safety have been well-established in the general population, but the benefit in the very elderly (≥80 years old) is still unclear. Data about the safety and the effectiveness of DOACs in patients older than 75 years are available in literature, but the evidences of the use of DOACs in patients aged 80 years and older are lacking. This review aims to give light to the differences, in terms of benefits and safety, of the DOACs in this subset of patients.

The problem of underdosing with direct-acting oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

Unless contraindicated, anticoagulant therapy should be prescribed to elderly patients with atrial fibrillation. Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are superior to vitamin K antagonists for preventing stroke. This, together with their higher net clinical benefit, makes DOACs the treatment of choice in this population. However, due to the concerns about bleeding and the need for dose adjustment based on clinical variables, underdosing of DOACs is common and the risk of stroke high. Drugs with more easily adjusted doses are likely associated with a lower risk of dosing errors and, therefore, a greater protective effect. Correct dosing can ensure a maximal net benefit of DOACs in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.

Direct Anticoagulants Versus Vitamin K Antagonists in Patients Aged 80 Years or Older With Atrial Fibrillation in a "Real-world" Nationwide Registry: Insights From the FANTASIIA Study

OBJECTIVE

To describe major events at follow up in octogenarian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) according to anticoagulant treatment: direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs).

METHODS

A total of 578 anticoagulated patients aged ≥80 years with AF were included in a prospective, observational, multicenter study. Basal features, embolic events (stroke and systemic embolism), severe bleedings, and all-cause mortality at follow up were investigated according to the anticoagulant treatment received.

RESULTS

Mean age was 84.0 ± 3.4 years, 56% were women. Direct oral anticoagulants were prescribed to 123 (21.3%) patients. Compared with 455 (78.7%) patients treated with VKAs, those treated with DOACs presented a lower frequency of permanent AF (52.9% vs 61.6%, P = .01), cancer history (4.9% vs 10.9%, P = .046), renal failure (21.1% vs 32.2%, P = .02), and left ventricular dysfunction (2.4% vs 8.0%, P = .03); and higher frequency of previous stroke (26.0% vs 16.6%, P = .02) and previous major bleeding (8.1% vs 3.6%, P = .03). There were no significant differences in Charlson, CHA2DS2VASc, nor HAS-BLED scores. At 3-year follow up, rates of embolic events, severe bleedings, and all-cause death (per 100 patients-year) were similar in both groups (DOACs vs VKAs): 0.34 vs 1.35 (P = .15), 3.45 vs 4.41 (P = .48), and 8.2 vs 11.0 (P = .18), respectively, without significant differences after multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-1.93, P = .19; HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.44-1.76, P = .72 and HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.53-1.33, P = .46, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In this "real-world" registry, the differences in major events rates in octogenarians with AF were not statistically significant in those treated with DOACs versus VKAs.

Risk of major bleeding in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation on direct oral anticoagulants: real world experience

Background The efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants is well established in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, data on their use in the oldest old patients (≥ 85 years), who have the highest risk of bleeding, is scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of direct oral anticoagulants in the oldest old patients with atrial fibrillation and assess the impact of age on major bleeding events. Setting Anticoagulation Clinic of the Department of Vascular Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. Methods From our single-centre prospective registry we enrolled 2260 consecutive atrial fibrillation patients aged ≥ 65 years that were started on dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban. The mean duration of treatment exposure was 735 days. The primary outcome was the incidence of major bleeding. The incidence of thromboembolic events and death were also assessed. Potential risk factors for major bleeding were evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Main outcome measure Rate of major bleeding. Results During the follow-up 106 patients experienced major bleeding (2.3%/year). The oldest old patients (≥ 85 years) had the highest risk of any major bleeding (HR 2.50, 95% CI 1.44-4.32, p = 0.001), intracranial bleeding (HR 4.74, 95% CI 1.48-15.14, p < 0.01) and major gastrointestinal bleeding (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.10-4.89, p < 0.03) compared to the group of patients aged 65-74 years, even though the majority of them were treated with reduced doses of direct oral anticoagulants. Significant predictors for major bleeding were age group ≥ 85 years (HR 2.52, 95% CI 1.43-4.47, p = 0.001) and history of bleeding (HR 3.32, 95% CI 1.87-5.90, p < 0.001). The incidence of a composite of stroke, transient ischemic attack and systemic embolism was 1.3%/year. Conclusion In this prospective real-world clinical study we have shown that the oldest old patients have the highest risk of major bleeding, which is further increased with a patient's history of bleeding.

Is dual therapy the correct strategy in frail elderly patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Its incidence and prevalence are age-related and are growing in the last years. Age is a risk factor also for coronary artery disease (CAD), and with the evolution of preventive care, the first event (acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)) takes place at a later age. If elderly patients with AF and CAD undergo ACS or PCI, they have indication to assume triple therapy. Triple therapy (oral anticoagulation (OAC) plus dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)) exposes patients to high bleeding risk. In the last 10 years, several clinical trials have tested dual therapy (OAC plus single antiplatelet therapy) in AF patients who undergo ACS or elective PCI. WOEST trial has tested warfarin + clopidogrel against triple therapy. PIONEER AF-PCI trial has tested low-dose rivaroxaban + P2Y12 inhibitor or very low-dose rivaroxaban + DAPT against standard triple therapy with warfarin. RE-DUAL PCI trial has tested two doses of dabigatran + P2Y12 inhibitor against standard triple therapy with Warfarin. AUGUSTUS trial has tested apixaban against warfarin both in dual therapy with P2Y12 inhibitor and in triple therapy with a P2Y12 inhibitor and aspirin. ENTRUST-AF PCI, last published study, has tested edoxaban + P2Y12 inhibitor against triple therapy. All these trials show dual therapy reduces significantly bleeding risk than triple therapy. In this paper, we analyze these clinical trials to understand if dual therapy results can be applied to elderly patients and what is probably the better approach in elderly AF patients undergo to ACS or PCI.

The Efficacy, Safety and Adherence to Treatment when New Anticoagulants Taking in Over 75 Years Old Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Aim. To study the efficacy, safety, and adherence to therapy with new oral anticoagulants in patients older than 75 years with atrial fibrillation.

Material and methods. Patients (n=431) over 75 years old (82.7±3.4 years) with various types of atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) were included in a nonrandomized observational study of new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in real clinical practice. A history of cardiac surgery was in 27.6% of patients. All patients had >3 risk factors for ischemic stroke (CHA2DS2-VASс 4.81±0.4 points) and >1 risk factor for bleeding (HAS-BLED 3.01±0.2 points). The duration of the observation study was from 12 to 42 (26.9±4.9) months. Dabigatran was taken in 38.5% (n=166) of patients, rivaroxaban – in 41.3% (n=178), apixaban – in 20.2% (n=87) of patients.

Results. The incidence of new cases of myocardial infarction was 0.8% per year, surgical revascularization – 0.9% per year, cardiovascular death – 0.8% per year. The frequency of ischemic stroke was 1.1% per year, transient ischemic attacks – 0.4% per year, all thromboembolic episodes – 1.77% per year. The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was 0.2% per year, of minor bleeding – 4.4% per year, of the combined cardiac point (the total frequency of all strokes, major bleeding, myocardial infarction, mortality from cardiovascular causes, revascularization procedures) – 4.2% per year. Significant differences in the frequency of endpoints depending on the drug of NOAC taken by patients were not found. Violations of the regimen and doses were more often observed with twice daily intake (63.9% for dabigatran and 59.8% for apixaban) than with a single dosage regimen per day (45.5% for rivaroxaban). The leading causes of non-adherence to NOAC therapy in patients over 75 years of age included skipping the next scheduled dose (43.6%) and changing the frequency of the drug taking (16.9%). For NOAC with a double dose per day, dabigatran and apixaban, the frequency of administration was violated in 27.7% and 28.7%, respectively, and with a single dose per day, rivaroxaban – in 1.1%.

Conclusion. Therapy with NOAC in patients older than 75 years with AF is effective and safe. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events during three NOACs treatment in patients with AF older than 75 years. The incidence of non-adherence was less  

Atrial Fibrillation in Older People: Concepts and Controversies

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest cardiac rhythm abnormality and has a significant disease burden. Amongst its devastating complications is stroke, the risk of which increases with age. The stroke risk in an older person with AF is therefore tremendous, and oral-anticoagulation (OAC) therapy is central to minimizing this risk. The presence of age-associated factors such as frailty and multi-morbidities add complexity to OAC prescription decisions in older patients and often, OAC is needlessly withheld from them despite a lack of evidence to support this practice. Generally, this is driven by an over-estimation of the bleeding risk. This review article provides an overview of the concepts and controversies in managing AF in older people, with respect to the existing evidence and current practice. A literature search was conducted on Pubmed and Cochrane using keywords, and relevant articles published by the 1st of May 2019 were included. The article will shed light on common misconceptions that appear to serve as rationale for precluding OAC and focus on clinical considerations that may aid OAC prescription decisions where appropriate, to optimize AF management using an integrated, multi-disciplinary care approach. This is crucial for all patients, particularly older individuals who are most vulnerable to the deleterious consequences of this condition.

Arrhythmias in Patients ≥80 Years of Age: Pathophysiology, Management, and Outcomes

Advances in medical care have led to an increase in the number of octogenarians and even older patients, forming an important and unique patient subgroup. It is clear that advancing age is an independent risk factor for the development of most arrhythmias, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Patients ≥80 years of age have significant structural and electrical remodeling of cardiac tissue; accrue competing comorbidities; react differently to drug therapy; and may experience falls, frailty, and cognitive impairment, presenting significant therapeutic challenges. Unfortunately, very old patients are under-represented in clinical trials, leading to critical gaps in evidence to guide effective and safe treatment of arrhythmias. In this state-of-the-art review, we examine the pathophysiology of aging and arrhythmias and then present the available evidence on age-specific management of the most common arrhythmias, including drugs, catheter ablation, and cardiac implantable electronic devices.

Use of DOACs in real-world challenging settings: a Delphi Consensus from Italian cardiologists

BACKGROUND

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) represent the first therapeutic option for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). However, phase 3 trials that demonstrated higher safety and at least similar efficacy of DOACs compared to Warfarin, included a selected population, not entirely representative of real-world. The present Consensus document was aimed at overcoming the uncertainties about DOAC use in challenging setting where data are conflicting or sparse or where a gap between trials and real world exists.

METHODS

The Delphi method was used to achieve consensus on DOAC use in AF patients throughout 104 Cardiologists in Piedmont, Italy. A questionnaire on 6 commonly encountered clinical settings was administered: 1) the elderly; 2) the "frail" patient; 3) interactions with food/drugs; 4) low-dosages; 5) cancer patients; 6) patients with acute coronary syndrome.

RESULTS

DOAC use over Warfarin was investigated in the elderly population, in the frail patients and in those with cancer, and clinical consensus was reached on its preferential use. Drug interactions should always be considered when a DOAC is prescribed and dosage should respect the Summary of Product Characteristics. No consensus was reached in patients with severe renal impairment and in those with dynamic clinical characteristics ("borderline patients"). DOACs should be considered as the first-line anticoagulation therapy in patients with high intracranial bleeding risk.

CONCLUSIONS

DOACs should represent the first-line anticoagulation therapy in non-valvular AF patients in the majority of challenging settings, underexplored by literature. Caution in their prescription is needed in case of severe renal impairment. Dose choice should follow the SmPC, although this is matter of debate in borderline patients.

Efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation

Elderly patients with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of both ischemic and bleeding events compared with younger patients; therefore, balancing risks and benefits of antithrombotic strategies in this population is crucial. Recent studies have shown that because the risk of stroke increases with age more than the risk of bleeding, the absolute benefit of oral anticoagulation is the highest in elderly patients in whom it outweighs the risk of bleeding. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been developed as a treatment for the prevention of cardioembolic stroke to overcome some limitations of warfarin, such as the need for frequent monitoring, labile INR values requiring frequent dose adjustment, dietary and drugs interactions, and increased risk of intracranial bleeding. Despite the better safety profiles of DOACs compared with warfarin, elderly patients often remain undertreated because of the fear of bleeding complications. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the risks of thromboembolisms and bleeding in different antithrombotic strategies in elderly patients (aged ≥75 years) with atrial fibrillation, including data from the warfarin-controlled phase 3 DOACs trials.

Prevention and Treatment of Acute Stroke in the Nonagenarians and Beyond: Medical and Ethical Issues

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As one of the fastest growing portions of the population, nonagenarians will constitute a significant percentage of the stroke patient population in the near future. Nonagenarians are nevertheless not specifically targeted by most clinical guidelines. In this review, we aimed to summarise the available evidence guiding stroke prevention and treatment in this age group.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several recent observational studies have shown that the benefits of anticoagulation for the oldest old patients with atrial fibrillation may outweigh the bleeding risk. A sub-analysis of the IST-3 trial has shown for the first time that thrombolysis treatment in acute ischaemic stroke may be beneficial and safe even in octogenarian patients and older. Several recent observational studies have assessed thrombolysis in nonagenarians. The latest of these has shown better disability outcomes without increased rates of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage with thrombolysis. Nonagenarian stroke patients may benefit from similar preventative and therapeutic strategies as their younger counterparts. A few important exceptions include primary prevention using aspirin or statins. Patient selection is nevertheless essential given the increased adverse event rates. Patient preference should play a key role in the decision-making process. Clinical trials including more nonagenarian patients are required to yield more robust evidence.