Epidemiology and Management of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke: Review of Data from Four European Countries

Key needs, quality performance indicators and outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation and multimorbidity: The AFFIRMO study

BACKGROUND

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) often have concomitant long-term conditions that negatively impact their quality of life and the clinical management they receive. The AFFIRMO study aimed to identify the needs, quality performance indicators (QPIs), and outcomes relevant to patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to improve the care of patients with AF.

METHODS

An on-line survey to collect the key needs, QPIs, and outcomes relevant to patients with AF, their caregivers and HCPs, was distributed between May 2022 and January 2023 in five countries (UK, Italy, Denmark, Romania and Spain). Results from the on-line survey were discussed in a three-round Delphi process with international representatives of patients with AF, caregivers, and HCPs to determine the key needs, QPIs and outcomes for the management of patients with AF and multimorbidity.

RESULTS

659 patients (47.2% males, mean (SD) age 70.9 (10.2) years), 201 caregivers (26.9% males, mean (SD) age: 58.3 (SD 15.2) years), and 445 HCPs (57.8% males, mean (SD) age 47.4 (10.6) years) participated in the survey. An initial list of 27 needs, 9 QPIs, and 17 outcomes were identified. Eight patients, two caregivers, and 11 HCPs participated in the Delphi process. Nineteen (70%) needs, 8 (89%) QPIs, and 13 (76%) outcomes reached "consensus in", and were included in the final list.

CONCLUSIONS

The final key needs, QPIs and outcomes obtained from the Delphi process will inform the AFFIRMO clinical trial, which aims to test the iABC app which incorporates an empowerment toolbox for patients and their caregivers, providing information to improve patient engagement and empowerment to help improve the clinical and self-management of patients with AF in the context of multimorbidity.

Medication Adherence to Direct Oral Anticoagulants: Extent and Impact of Side Effects

Purpose

Arterial and venous thromboembolism are a leading cause of mortality. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are highly effective in both stroke prevention and prevention of venous thrombotic events. Medication adherence is a prerequisite for optimal protection against thromboembolic complications. Recent studies have shown that good adherence cannot be taken for granted by DOACs. In this cross-sectional study adherence among DOAC users was investigated and associations between beliefs about medication, perceived side effects and adherence were explored.

Patients and Methods

We included 100 randomly selected adult DOAC users visiting one of the two participating Dutch community pharmacies in the summer of 2020. The self-reported adherence (primary outcome) was assessed with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale-5 (MARS-5) using three different cut-off scores. Beliefs about DOACs were assessed with the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire Specific (BMQ-S), while side effects and side effect burden were assessed with a self-developed questionnaire based on the Lareb Intensive Monitoring (LIM) system.

Results

Of the participants, 9% reported non-adherence on the primary MARS-5 cut-off score <24. For the MARS-5 scores <23 and <25 non-adherence percentages of, respectively, 3 and 33% were calculated. Associations were found between adherence and both side effects and side effect burden, regardless of the MARS-5 cut-off score. Bruising and minor bleeds were the most reported side effects (both 20%). For all patients, the necessity beliefs outweighed the concern beliefs. No associations were found between adherence and either gender, indication, DOAC or dosage.

Conclusion

This study confirms that adherence in patients on DOACs cannot be taken for granted. High necessity beliefs do not guarantee good adherence, as side effects impair adherence even in patients having high necessity beliefs. Therefore, we recommend that both physicians and pharmacists evaluate both adherence and side effects with these patients on a regular base.

Effect of Obesity on the Use of Antiarrhythmics in Adults With Atrial Fibrillation: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and obesity coexist in approximately 37.6 million and 650 million people globally, respectively. The anatomical and physiological changes in individuals with obesity may influence the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs.

AIM

This review aimed to describe the evidence of the effect of obesity on the pharmacokinetics of antiarrhythmics in people with AF.

METHODS

Three databases were searched from inception to June 2023. Original studies that addressed the use of antiarrhythmics in adults with AF and concomitant obesity were included.

RESULTS

A total of 4549 de-duplicated articles were screened, and 114 articles underwent full-text review. Ten studies were included in this narrative synthesis: seven cohort studies, two pharmacokinetic studies, and a single case report. Samples ranged from 1 to 371 participants, predominately males (41%-85%), aged 59-75 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 23-66 kg/m2. The two most frequently investigated antiarrhythmics were amiodarone and dofetilide. Other drugs investigated included diltiazem, flecainide, disopyramide, propafenone, dronedarone, sotalol, vernakalant, and ibutilide. Findings indicate that obesity may affect the pharmacokinetics of amiodarone and sodium channel blockers (e.g., flecainide, disopyramide, and propafenone). Factors such as drug lipophilicity may also influence the pharmacokinetics of the drug and the need for dose modification.

DISCUSSION

Antiarrhythmics are not uniformly affected by obesity. This observation is based on heterogeneous studies of participants with an average BMI and poorly controlled confounding factors such as multimorbidity, concomitant medications, varying routes of administration, and assessment of obesity. Controlled trials with stratification at the time of recruitment for obesity are necessary to determine the significance of these findings.

Cardioembolic Stroke Three Days Post-Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic AtriClip in a Patient With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a global epidemic due to aging and chronic diseases. Treatment options are expanding to prevent thromboembolism in anticoagulant-ineligible patients. The left atrial appendage, implicated in 90% of embolic strokes, is increasingly managed with occlusion devices like the AtriClip. A 62-year-old woman with prior stroke, severe gastrointestinal bleeding on anticoagulation, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation experienced sudden left-sided weakness and altered mental status three days post-AtriClip procedure. Brain MRI revealed acute infarcts in the right cerebellum and scattered punctate infarcts in both cerebral hemispheres. No further invasive investigations or interventions were recommended, as they would not influence management. Left-sided weakness improved, and the patient was discharged to a subacute rehabilitation center. Despite the AtriClip's ability to lower stroke incidence by occluding the left atrial appendage, there remains a residual risk of cerebrovascular events that can significantly impact morbidity and mortality. This case underscores persistent risks despite complete appendage closure, emphasizing the need for broader studies on post-AtriClip stroke risk.

Identification of Plasmatic MicroRNA-206 as New Predictor of Early Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation After Catheter Ablation Using Next-generation Sequencing

BACKGROUND

Catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) is indicated in patients with recurrent and symptomatic AF episodes. Despite the strict inclusion/exclusion criteria, AF recurrence after CA remains high. Identification of a novel biomarker that would predict AF recurrence would help to stratify the patients. The aim of the study was to seek novel biomarkers among the plasmatic microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs).

METHODS

A prospective monocentric study was conducted. A total of 49 consecutive AF patients indicated for CA were included. Blood sampling was performed prior to CA. RNA was isolated from plasma using commercial kits. In the exploration phase, small RNA sequencing was performed in ten AF patients (five with and five without AF recurrence) using Illumina instrument. In the validation phase, levels of selected miRNAs were determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in all participants.

RESULTS

Altogether, 22 miRNAs were identified as altered between the groups by next-generation sequencing (using the DESeq2 algorithm). Using qRT-PCR, levels of the five most altered miRNAs (miR-190b/206/326/505-5p/1296-5p) were verified in the whole cohort. Plasma levels of hsa-miR-206 were significantly higher in patients with early (within 6 months) AF recurrence and showed an increase of risk recurrence,2.65 times by every increase in its level by 1 unit in the binary logistic regression.

CONCLUSION

We have identified a set of 22 plasmatic miRNAs that differ between the patients with and without AF recurrence after CA and confirmed hsa-miR-206 as a novel miRNA associated with early AF recurrence. Results shall be verified in a larger independent cohort.

An effective prediction model based on XGBoost for the 12-month recurrence of AF patients after RFA

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder that can lead to complications such as stroke and heart failure. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure used to treat AF, but it is not always successful in maintaining a normal heart rhythm. This study aimed to construct a clinical prediction model based on extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) for AF recurrence 12 months after ablation.

METHODS

The 27-dimensional data of 359 patients with AF undergoing RFA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2018 to November 2021 were retrospectively analysed. We adopted the logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and XGBoost methods to conduct the experiment. To evaluate the performance of the prediction, we used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the area under the precision-recall curve (AP), and calibration curves of both the training and testing sets. Finally, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were utilized to explain the significance of the variables.

RESULTS

Of the 27-dimensional variables, ejection fraction (EF) of the left atrial appendage (LAA), N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), global peak longitudinal strain of the LAA (LAAGPLS), left atrial diameter (LAD), diabetes mellitus (DM) history, and female sex had a significant role in the predictive model. The experimental results demonstrated that XGBoost exhibited the best performance among these methods, and the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, precision and F1 score (a measure of test accuracy) of XGBoost were 86.1%, 89.7%, 71.4%, 62.5% and 0.67, respectively. In addition, SHAP analysis also proved that the 6 parameters were decisive for the effect of the XGBoost-based prediction model.

CONCLUSIONS

We proposed an effective model based on XGBoost that can be used to predict the recurrence of AF patients after RFA. This prediction result can guide treatment decisions and help to optimize the management of AF.

Use of a new non-contrast-enhanced BOOST cardiac MR sequence before electrical cardioversion or ablation of atrial fibrillation-a pilot study

Introduction

Left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus is the most common source of embolization in atrial fibrillation (AF). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard method for LAA thrombus exclusion. Our pilot study aimed to compare the efficacy of a new non-contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sequence (BOOST) with TEE for the detection of LAA thrombus and to evaluate the usefulness of BOOST images for planning radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) compared with left atrial (LA) contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). We also attempted to assess the patients' subjective experiences with TEE and CMR.

Methods

Patients with AF undergoing either electrical cardioversion or RFCA were enrolled. Participants underwent pre-procedural TEE and CMR scans to evaluate LAA thrombus status and pulmonary vein anatomy. Patient experiences with TEE and CMR were assessed using a questionnaire developed by our team. Some patients scheduled for RFCA also had pre-procedural LA contrast-enhanced CT. In such cases, the operating physician was asked to subjectively define the quality of the CT and CMR scan on a scale of 1-10 (1 = worst, 10 = best) and comment on CMR's usefulness in RFCA planning.

Results

Seventy-one patients were enrolled. In 94.4%, both TEE and CMR excluded, and in 1 patient, both modalities reported the presence of LAA thrombus. In 1 patient, TEE was inconclusive, but CMR excluded LAA thrombus. In 2 patients, CMR could not exclude the presence of thrombus, but in 1 of those cases, TEE was also indecisive. During TEE, 67%, during CMR, only 1.9% of patients reported pain (p < 0.0001), and 89% would prefer CMR in case of a repeat examination. The quality of the left atrial contrast-enhanced CT scans was better compared with the image quality of the CMR BOOST sequence [8 (7-9) vs. 6 (5-7), p < 0.0001]. Still, the CMR images were useful for procedural planning in 91% of cases.

Conclusion

The new CMR BOOST sequence provides appropriate image quality for ablation planning. The sequence might be useful for excluding larger LAA thrombi; however, its accuracy in detecting smaller thrombi is limited. Most patients preferred CMR over TEE in this indication.

Is It Really Safe to Discontinue Antiplatelet Therapy 12 Months After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation?

The prevalence of AF in patients with coronary artery disease is high. The guidelines from many professional groups, including the European Society of Cardiology, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and Heart Rhythm Society, recommend a maximum duration of 12 months of combination single antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention and who have concurrent AF, followed by anticoagulation alone beyond 1 year. However, the evidence that anticoagulation alone without antiplatelet therapy adequately reduces the well-documented attritional risk of stent thrombosis after coronary stent implantation is relatively sparse, particularly given that very late stent thrombosis (>1 year from stent implantation) is the commonest type. By contrast, the elevated risk of bleeding from combined anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy is clinically important. The aim of this review is to assess the evidence for long-term anticoagulation alone without antiplatelet therapy 1 year post-percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with AF.

The rising death burden of atrial fibrillation and flutter in low-income regions and younger populations

Objective

The aim of the study was to depict the global death burden of atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (AFF) between 1990 and 2019 and predict this burden in the next decade.

Methods

We retrieved annual death data on cases and rates of AFF between 1990 and 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 and projected the trends for 2020-2029 by developing the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.

Results

The global number of deaths from AFF increased from 117,038.00 in 1990 to 315,336.80 in 2019. This number is projected to reach 404,593.40 by 2029. The age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of AFF have increased significantly in low- to middle-sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, which will surpass that in high SDI regions and reach above 4.60 per 100,000 by 2029. Globally, women have a higher ASMR than men, which is largely attributed to disproportionately higher mortality in women than men in lower SDI regions. Notably, AFF-related premature mortality continues to worsen worldwide. A pandemic of high systolic blood pressure and high body mass index (BMI) largely contributes to AFF-associated death. In particular, low- to middle-SDI regions and younger populations are increasingly affected by the rapidly growing current and future risk of high BMI.

Conclusion

The global death burden of AFF in low-income countries and younger generations have not been sufficiently controlled in the past and will continue growing in the future, which is largely attributed to metabolic risks, particularly for high BMI. There is an urgent need to implement effective measures to control AFF-related mortality.

Atrial fibrillation incidence and outcomes in two cohorts of octogenarians: LiLACS NZ

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the general population, has significant healthcare burden. Little is known about AF in octogenarians.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence and incidence rate of AF in New Zealand (NZ) octogenarians and the risk of stroke and mortality at 5-year follow-up.

DESIGN

Longitudinal Cohort Study.

SETTING

Bay of Plenty and Lakes health regions of New Zealand.

SUBJECTS

Eight-hundred-seventy-seven (379 indigenous Māori, 498 non-Māori) were included in the analysis.

METHODS

AF, stroke/TIA events and relevant co-variates were established annually using self-report and hospital records (and ECG for AF). Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to determine the time dependent AF risk of stroke/TIA.

RESULTS

AF was present in 21% at baseline (Māori 26%, non-Māori 18%), the prevalence doubled over 5-years (Māori 50%, non-Māori 33%). 5-year AF incidence was 82.6 /1000-person years and at all times AF incidence for Māori was twice that of non-Māori. Five-year stroke/TIA prevalence was 23% (22% in Māori and 24% non- Māori), higher in those with AF than without. AF was not independently associated with 5-year new stroke/TIA; baseline systolic blood pressure was. Mortality was higher for Māori, men, those with AF and CHF and statin use was protective. In summary, AF is more prevalent in indigenous octogenarians and should have an increased focus in health care management. Further research could examine treatment in more detail to facilitate ethnic specific impact and risks and benefits of treating AF in octogenarians.

Time trends in antithrombotic therapy prescription patterns: Real-world monocentric study in hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Since 2010, the European Society of Cardiology has extended prescription criteria for oral antithrombotic therapy (OAT) in atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were upgraded from an IIAa recommendation in 2012 to an IA in 2016. In real-world scenarios, however, OAC prescription is still suboptimal, mainly for DOACs.

AIM

To evaluate OAT temporal prescription patterns in a cohort of patients hospitalized with AF in a Cardiology Department.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted on a cohort of hospitalized patients in a secondary setting (Trapani, Italy) from 2010 to 2021 with AF as the main or secondary diagnosis. For 4089 consecutive patients, the variables extracted from the Cardiology department database were: Sex, age, time of hospitalization, antithrombotic therapy (warfarin, acenocoumarol, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, aspirin, clopidogrel, other antiplatelet agents, low molecular weight heparin, and fondaparinux), diagnosis at discharge and used resources. Basal features are presented as percentage values for categorized variables and as mean +/- SD for categorized once.

RESULTS

From January 1st, 2010 to October 6th, 2021, 25132 patients were hospitalized in our department; 4089 (16.27%, mean age 75.59+/-10.82) were discharged with AF diagnosis; of them, 2245 were males (54.81%, mean age 73.56+/-11.45) and 1851 females (45.19%, mean age 78.06+/-9.47). Average length of stay was 5.76+/-4.88 days; 154 patients died and 88 were moved to other Departments/Structures. AF was the main diagnosis in 899 patients (21.94%). The most frequent main diagnosis in patients with AF was acute myocardial infarction (1973 discharges, 48.19%). The most frequent secondary cardiac diagnosis was chronic coronary syndrome (1864 discharges, 45.51%), and the most frequent secondary associated condition was arterial hypertension (1010 discharges, 24.66%). For the analysis of antithrombotic treatments, the final sample included 3067 patients, after excluding in-hospital deaths, transferred out or self-discharged patients, as well as discharges lacking indications for prescribed treatments. OAC treatment increased significantly (35.63% in 2010-2012 vs 61.18% in 2019-2021, +25.55%, P < 0.0001), in spite of any antiplatelet agent use. This rise was due to increasing use of DOACs, with or without antiplatelet agents, from 3.04% in 2013-2015 to 50.06% in 2019-2021 (+47.02%, P < 0.0001) and was greater for factor Xa inhibitors, especially apixaban. In addition, treatment with a vitamin K antagonist, in spite of any antiplatelet agent use, decreased from 35.63% in 2010-2012 to 11.12% in 2019-2021 (-24.48%, P < 0.0001), as well as any antiplatelet therapy, alone or in double combination, (49.18% in 2010-2012 vs 34.18% in 2019-2021, -15.00%, P < 0.0001); and patients not receiving antithrombotic therapy declined with time (14.58% in 2010-2012 vs 1.97% in 2021, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Real-world patients with AF are elderly and affected by cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases. The percentage of patients on OAT and DOACs increased. These data suggest a slow, gradual guidelines implementation process.

Comprehensive metabolomic characterization of atrial fibrillation

Background

Using human humoral metabolomic profiling, we can discover the diagnostic biomarkers and pathogenesis of disease. The specific characterization of atrial fibrillation (AF) subtypes with metabolomics may facilitate effective and targeted treatment, especially in early stages.

Objectives

By investigating disturbed metabolic pathways, we could evaluate the diagnostic value of biomarkers based on metabolomics for different types of AF.

Methods

A cohort of 363 patients was enrolled and divided into a discovery and validation set. Patients underwent an electrocardiogram (ECG) for suspected AF. Groups were divided as follows: healthy individuals (Control), suspected AF (Sus-AF), first diagnosed AF (Fir-AF), paroxysmal AF (Par-AF), persistent AF (Per-AF), and AF causing a cardiogenic ischemic stroke (Car-AF). Serum metabolomic profiles were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Metabolomic variables were analyzed with clinical information to identify relevant diagnostic biomarkers.

Results

The metabolic disorders were characterized by 16 cross-comparisons. We focused on comparing all of the types of AF (All-AFs) plus Car-AF vs. Control, All-AFs vs. Car-AF, Par-AF vs. Control, and Par-AF vs. Per-AF. Then, 117 and 94 metabolites were identified by GC/MS and LC-QTOF-MS, respectively. The essential altered metabolic pathways during AF progression included D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, etc. For differential diagnosis, the area under the curve (AUC) of specific metabolomic biomarkers ranged from 0.8237 to 0.9890 during the discovery phase, and the predictive values in the validation cohort were 78.8–90.2%.

Conclusions

Serum metabolomics is a powerful way to identify metabolic disturbances. Differences in small–molecule metabolites may serve as biomarkers for AF onset, progression, and differential diagnosis.

Does YouTube Provide Qualified Patient Education Videos About Atrial Fibrillation?

Objective

Patients utilize the internet as a pathway to acquire knowledge of specific diseases. However, there are limited oversight and review mechanisms to ensure the authenticity of online information. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of video-based resources used to obtain information about atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

Multiple AF-specific keywords were used to perform a systematic search of YouTube. Two independent reviewers reviewed the top 50 results of each keyword search. To record data, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, modified DISCERN score, AF-specific score (AFSS), and essential score (Escore) were used. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for intergroup comparisons.

Results

A total of 74 videos that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. In terms of video quality, 68% were poor, 19% were moderate, and 13% were exceptional. Videos submitted by publishers with a medical background were much less popular (p < 0.05) than those submitted by publishers without a medical background. The video quality did not differ among those included in this study.

Conclusions

Some videos on YouTube that are of real value are not as popular as those with low-quality content submitted by news agencies/media publishers. Furthermore, videos submitted by those with a medical background do not receive as much attention as others. It is important to acknowledge that video platforms should establish content and quality auditing mechanisms for videos. Furthermore, publishers should ensure that viewers receive accurate and complete knowledge and use more concise and accessible images or animations that are tailored to the audience.

How should I treat patients with subclinical atrial fibrillation and atrial high-rate episodes? Current evidence and clinical importance

Long-term and continuous ECG monitoring using cardiac implantable electronic devices and insertable cardiac monitors has improved the capability of detecting subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial high-rate episodes. Previous studies demonstrated a high prevalence (more than 20%) in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices or insertable cardiac monitors. Subclinical AF and atrial high-rate episodes are often suspected as the cause of prior or potential future ischemic stroke. However, the clinical significance is still uncertain, and the evidence is limited. This review aims to present and discuss the current evidence on the clinical impact of subclinical AF and atrial high-rate episodes. It focuses particularly on the association between the duration of the episodes and major clinical outcomes like thromboembolic events. As subclinical AF and atrial high-rate episodes are presumed to be associated with ischemic strokes, detection will be particularly important in patients with cryptogenic stroke and in high-risk patients for thromboembolism. In this context, it is also interesting whether there is a temporal relationship between the detection of subclinical AF and atrial high-rate episodes and the occurrence of thromboembolic events. In addition, the review will examine the question whether there is a need for a therapy with oral anticoagulation.

Cost-effectiveness of a photopethysmographic procedure for screening for atrial fibrillation in 6 European countries

BACKGROUND

Strokes cause an estimated annual health care burden of 170 billion euros across Europe. Atrial fibrillation is one of the major risk factors for stroke and increases the individual risk 4.2-fold. But prevention with anticoagulants may reduce this risk by 70%. Screening methods are employed to detect previously undetected atrial fibrillation. Screening studies in various European countries show a high degree of undetected atrial fibrillation. This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of systematic screening with a smartphone application, named Preventicus Heartbeats. It is a hands-on screening tool for use on smartphone to diagnose AF with high sensitivity and specificity.

METHODS

A previously published model for calculating screening cost-effectiveness was extended to 6 European countries covering a wide range in terms of treatment costs and epidemiologic parameters.

RESULTS

The use of screening lowers the cost per case in countries with comparatively high levels of health care costs (Switzerland: -€75; UK: -€7). Moderate higher costs per case were observed in 4 countries (Greece: €6; Netherlands: €15). Low levels of health care costs result in less or no potential for further cost reduction (Poland: €20; Serbia: €33). In all countries considered, the model showed an increase in effectiveness measures both in the number of strokes avoided and the quality adjusted life years. The number of strokes avoided per 1000 participants ranged from 2.52 (Switzerland) to 4.44 (Poland). Quality-adjusted life-years per case gained from screening ranged from 0.0105 (Switzerland) to 0.0187 (Poland). The screening procedure dominated in two countries (Switzerland, UK). For the remaining countries, the incremental cost effectiveness ratio ranged from €489/QALY (Greece) to €2548/QALY (Serbia).

CONCLUSION

The model results showed a strong dependence of the results on the country-specific costs for stroke treatment. The use of the investigated screening method is close to cost-neutral or cost-reducing in the Western European countries and Greece. In countries with low price levels, higher cost increases due to AF screening are to be expected. Lower costs of anticoagulation, which are expected due to the upcoming patent expiry of direct anticoagulants, have a positive effect on the cost result.

Direct Medical Cost of Stroke and the Cost-Effectiveness of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation-Related Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Stroke has significant direct medical costs, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are better alternatives to warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to determine the direct medical costs of stroke, with emphasis on AF stroke and the cost-effectiveness of DOACs among stroke patients in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia.

METHODS

This study utilised in-patient data from the case mix unit of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) between 2011 and 2018. Direct medical costs of stroke were determined using a top-down costing approach and factors associated with costs were identified. Incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated to compare the cost-effectiveness between DOACs and warfarin.

RESULTS

The direct medical cost of stroke was MYR 11,669,414.83 (n = 3689). AF-related stroke cases had higher median cost of MYR 2839.73 (IQR 2269.79-3101.52). Regression analysis showed that stroke type (AF versus non-AF stroke) (p = 0.013), stroke severity (p = 0.010) and discharge status (p < 0.001) significantly influenced stroke costs. DOACs were cost-effective compared to warfarin with an ICER of MYR 19.25.

CONCLUSIONS

The direct medical cost of stroke is substantial, with AF-stroke having a higher median cost per stroke care. DOACs were cost effective in the treatment of AF-related stroke in UKMMC.

Effectiveness and Safety of Dabigatran Compared to Vitamin K Antagonists in Non-Asian Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Real-life data about the use of dabigatran in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation are warranted. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness and safety of dabigatran, globally and stratified by dose (110/150 mg twice daily), vs vitamin K antagonists in non-Asian patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation from "real-world" studies.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed according to Cochrane methodological standards. The results were reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Statement) statement. The ROBINS-I tool was used to assess bias risk. MEDLINE and EMBASE, from inception up to May 2021, using appropriate controlled vocabulary and free search terms, were searched.  RESULTS: A total of 34 studies, corresponding to 37 articles involving 1,600,722 participants (1,154,283 exposed to vitamin K antagonists and 446,439 to dabigatran) were eligible for this review. Dabigatran 150 mg reduced the risk of ischemic stroke compared with vitamin K antagonists, with a 14% risk reduction (hazard ratio [HR] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.98). Globally, dabigatran reduced the risk of all-cause mortality compared with vitamin K antagonists (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.84), with a greater effect observed with dabigatran 150 mg (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.58-0.73). There was a trend towards a lower risk of myocardial infarction with dabigatran 150 mg (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.71-1.04). Regarding the primary safety outcomes, dabigatran (either at a dose of 150 mg or 110 mg) reduced the risk of major bleeding compared with vitamin K antagonists (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.70-0.83), as well as the risk of intracranial bleeding (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.39-0.50) and fatal bleeding (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.95), but with a slight increase in gastrointestinal bleeding risk (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.26).

CONCLUSIONS

Dabigatran has a favorable impact on effectiveness and safety outcomes compared with vitamin K antagonists in real-world populations.

Direct comparison of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant versus warfarin for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world evidences

Background

To overcome the several drawbacks of warfarin, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were developed. Even though randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provided high-quality evidence, the real-world evidence is still needed. This systematic review and meta-analysis proposed to measure the safety and efficacy profile between warfarin and NOACs in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients in preventing stroke.

Results

We collected articles about the real-world studies comparing warfarin and NOACs for NVAF patients recorded in electronic scientific databases such as Embase, ProQuest, PubMed, and Cochrane. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using the generic inverse variance method. A total of 34 real-world studies, including 2287288 NVAF patients, were involved in this study. NOACs effectively reduced the stroke risk than warfarin (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.87; p < 0.01). Moreover, NOACs effectively lowered all-cause mortality risk (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.81; p < 0.01). From the safety aspect, compared to warfarin, NOACs significantly reduced major bleeding risk (HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.86; p < 0.01) and intracranial bleeding risk (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.70; p < 0.01). However, NOACs administration failed to decrease gastrointestinal bleeding risk (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.58 to 1.06; p = 0.12).

Conclusions

In NVAF patients, NOACs were found to be more effective than warfarin at reducing stroke risk. NOACSs also lowered the risk of all-cause mortality, cerebral hemorrhage, and severe bleeding in NVAF patients compared to warfarin.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43044-021-00194-1.

Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients in the Polish Atrial Fibrillation (POL-AF) Registry

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) can cause severe symptoms, but it is frequently asymptomatic. We aimed to compare the clinical features of patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic AF.

METHODS

A prospective, observational, multicenter study was performed (the Polish Atrial Fibrillation (POL-AF) registry). Consecutive hospitalized AF patients over 18 years of age were enrolled at ten centers. The data were collected for two weeks during each month of 2019.

RESULTS

A total of 2785 patients were analyzed, of whom 1360 were asymptomatic (48.8%). Asymptomatic patients were more frequently observed to have coronary artery disease (57.5% vs. 49.1%, p < 0.0001), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (39.8% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.0001), a previous thromboembolic event (18.2% vs. 13.1%, p = 0.0002), and paroxysmal AF (52.3% vs. 45.2%, p = 0.0002). In multivariate analysis, history of electrical cardioversion, paroxysmal AF, heart failure, coronary artery disease, previous thromboembolic event, and higher left ventricular ejection fraction were predictors of a lack of AF symptoms. First-diagnosed AF was a predictor of AF symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison to symptomatic patients, more of those hospitalized with asymptomatic AF had been previously diagnosed with this arrhythmia and other cardiovascular diseases. However, they presented with better left ventricular function and were more frequently treated with cardiovascular medicines.

Relative Importance of Heart Failure Events Compared to Stroke and Bleeding in AF Patients

Introduction: Incident heart failure (HF), ischemic stroke and systemic embolism (IS/SE), and major bleeding related to anticoagulation therapy are still the most frequent events occurring in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to assess the 3-year incidence, predictors, and related mortality of IS/SE, major bleeding, and HF in a large cohort of AF outpatients. Methods and results: We studied 4973 outpatients with prevalent AF included in the CARDIONOR registry. The mean age was 72.9 ± 11.2 years, 24.1% had diabetes mellitus and 78.9% had anticoagulant therapy at baseline. The mean CHA₂DS₂Vasc score was 3.4 ± 1.7. After a median follow-up of 3.2 years (IQR: 2.8 to 3.5), incident HF, IS/SE and major bleeding occurred in 10.5%, 3.3% and 2.1% of patients, respectively. When analyzed as time-dependent variables, IS/SE, major bleeding and hospitalization for decompensated HF were all strongly associated with mortality. The independent predictors of incident HF were age, women, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and a previous history of HF. A sensitivity analysis in patients without history of HF at inclusion revealed that incident HF remained the most frequent adverse event, occurring in 5.3% of patients, compared to IS/SE (1.7%) and major bleeding (2.5%). Conclusion: HF is a common residual cardiovascular adverse event occurring in AF outpatients and is associated with a very high mortality. Since modifiable risk factors are associated with incident HF, upstream intensive management of these risk factors would be of interest.

Increased serum interleukin-6 level as a predictive biomarker for atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is related to a higher risk of thromboembolic events and mortality. Some studies have demonstrated that the inflammatory biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) is associated with a higher risk of higher thrombosis in AF patients, but the real effect of IL-6 remains a controversy.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between IL-6 and thromboembolic events, as well as bleeding events, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events and all-cause mortality in AF.

RESULTS

A total of five studies involving 22 928 patients met our inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The higher level of IL-6 in AF patients is related to long-term thromboembolic events including stroke (RR 1.44, CI 95% 1.09-1.90, p=0.01). IL-6 meant a higher risk of long-term bleeding risk (RR 1.36, CI 95% 1.06-1.74, p=0.02), ACS risk (RR 1.81, CI 95% 1.43-2.30, p<0.001) and all-cause mortality (RR 2.35, CI 95% 2.09-2.65, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

A higher level of IL-6 may predict a greater number of long-term thromboembolic events and bleeding events, ACS events and mortality in AF patients. Further studies such as the cut-off point of IL-6 need to be conducted in the future.

Diurnal circadian variations in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: The atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) study

BACKGROUND

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging to diagnose due to its intermittent nature. Circadian rhythmicity has been reported for cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction; whether diurnal variation exists for paroxysmal AF is less known. We characterized the temporal pattern of AF initiation in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a prospective community-based cohort study.

METHODS

We included 74 ARIC study participants with paroxysmal AF detected by the Zio XT Patch at ARIC Visit 6 in 2016-17. We divided each participant's 2-week continuous monitoring data into 3-h intervals and summed the number of AF episodes in each interval. We performed Poisson regression using generalized estimating equations to estimate the effect of time of day on the number of AF episodes.

RESULTS

Compared to the reference interval of time 00:00-02:59, the time intervals 12:00-14:59, 15:00-17:59, and 18:00-20:59 had significantly higher frequency of AF initiation. Rate ratios (95% CI) for mean number of episodes in these three intervals were 1.91 (1.11, 2.92), 2.54 (1.42, 4.53), and 1.99 (1.19, 3.25) respectively. Furthermore, we found no significant association between duration of episode and time of day.

CONCLUSION

There is diurnal variation in the initiation of AF episodes, with a peak in frequency in the late afternoon. Our finding is consistent with sympathetically driven AF. Pulse palpation or obtaining an electrocardiogram in the late afternoon may produce the highest diagnostic yield for AF.

Annotation of susceptibility SNPs associated with atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the candidate gene based association studies have identified a panel of variants associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), however, most of the identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found located within intergenic or intronic genomic regions, and whether the positive SNPs have a real biological function is unknown, and the real disease causing gene need to be studied.

RESULTS

The current results of the genetic studies including common variants identified by GWAS (338 index SNPs) and candidate gene based association studies (40 SNPs) were summarized.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests the relationship between genetic variants and possible targeted genes, and provides insight into potential genetic pathways underlying AF incidence and development. The results may provide an encyclopedia of AF susceptibility SNPs and shed light on the functional mechanisms of AF variants identified through genetic studies.

METHODS

We summarized AF susceptibility SNPs identified by GWAS and candidate gene based association studies, and give a comprehensive functional annotation of all these AF susceptibility loci. by genomic annotation, microRNA binding prediction, promoter activity analysis, enhancer activity analysis, transcription factors binding activity prediction, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis, long-range transcriptional regulatory function analysis, gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis.

Time Series Analysis and Forecasting with Automated Machine Learning on a National ICD-10 Database

The application of machine learning (ML) for use in generating insights and making predictions on new records continues to expand within the medical community. Despite this progress to date, the application of time series analysis has remained underexplored due to complexity of the underlying techniques. In this study, we have deployed a novel ML, called automated time series (AutoTS) machine learning, to automate data processing and the application of a multitude of models to assess which best forecasts future values. This rapid experimentation allows for and enables the selection of the most accurate model in order to perform time series predictions. By using the nation-wide ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) dataset of hospitalized patients of Romania, we have generated time series datasets over the period of 2008–2018 and performed highly accurate AutoTS predictions for the ten deadliest diseases. Forecast results for the years 2019 and 2020 were generated on a NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) regional level. This is the first study to our knowledge to perform time series forecasting of multiple diseases at a regional level using automated time series machine learning on a national ICD-10 dataset. The deployment of AutoTS technology can help decision makers in implementing targeted national health policies more efficiently.

The influence of atrial fibrillation on the mortality of incident ESRD patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent, occurring in 1%–2% of the adult population, increasing the risk of stroke, and resulting in considerable healthcare costs. While stroke is a major complication of AF, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients also have a high risk of stroke, suggesting that AF is a possible risk factor for mortality of ESRD patients. However, whether the existence of AF at the initiation of hemodialysis predicts higher mortality risk of incident ESRD patients remains to be defined.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was performed at Wanfang Hospital from January 2004 to May 2018. The end points were mortality of patients or the end of the study. Incident ESRD patients who were on maintenance hemodialysis for more than 3 months were eligible for inclusion. Cox proportional regression and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to determine the association between predictors and mortality. The association between AF and echocardiographic parameters, causes of death were also investigated.

Results

Of the 393 incident ESRD patients at initiation of hemodialysis, 57 (14.5%) had AF and the median age was 71 years. Patients with AF were significantly older; showed significantly higher C-reactive protein levels, more heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mortality. Multivariate Cox regression showed that AF had a hazard ratio of 4.1 (95% confidence interval: 2.4–7.0) for mortality. Age-specific analysis showed that AF was significantly associated with mortality in all age groups. Echocardiography measurements including ejection fraction and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were similar in AF and non-AF patients. Cause-specific analysis showed that AF significantly associated with overall cardiovascular death and death due to acute myocardial infarction/coronary artery disease and sepsis.

Conclusions

AF at the initiation of hemodialysis predicts higher mortality risk of incident ESRD patients regardless of age. The systolic function and degree of LVH were similar in AF and non-AF patients. The association between AF and sepsis-related death suggested the role of systemic inflammation on the pathogenesis of AF.

Stroke Classification: Critical Role of Unusually Large von Willebrand Factor Multimers and Tissue Factor on Clinical Phenotypes Based on Novel "Two-Path Unifying Theory" of Hemostasis

Stroke is a hemostatic disease associated with thrombosis/hemorrhage caused by intracranial vascular injury with spectrum of clinical phenotypes and variable prognostic outcomes. The genesis of different phenotypes of stroke is poorly understood due to our incomplete understanding of hemostasis and thrombosis. These shortcomings have handicapped properly recognizing each specific stroke syndrome and contributed to controversy in selecting therapeutic agents. Treatment recommendation for stroke syndromes has been exclusively derived from the result of laborious and expensive clinical trials. According to newly proposed "two-path unifying theory" of in vivo hemostasis, intracranial vascular injury would yield several unique stroke syndromes triggered by 3 distinctly different thrombogenetic mechanisms depending upon level of intracranial intravascular injury and character of formed blood clots. Five major phenotypes of stroke occur via thrombogenetic paths: (1) transient ischemic attack due to focal endothelial damage limited to endothelial cells (ECs), (2) acute ischemic stroke due to localized ECs and subendothelial tissue (SET) damage extending up to the outer vascular wall, (3) thrombo-hemorrhagic stroke due to localized vascular damage involving ECs and SET and extending beyond SET to extravascular tissue, (4) acute hemorrhagic stroke due to major localized intracranial hemorrhage/hematoma into the brain tissue or space between the coverings of the brain associated with vascular anomaly or obtuse trauma, and (5) encephalopathic stroke due to disseminated endotheliopathy leading to microthrombosis within the brain. New classification of stroke phenotypes would assist in selecting rational therapeutic regimen for each stroke syndrome and designing clinical trials to improve clinical outcome.

Arrhythmia mechanisms and spontaneous calcium release: Bi-directional coupling between re-entrant and focal excitation

Spontaneous sub-cellular calcium release events (SCRE) are conjectured to promote rapid arrhythmias associated with conditions such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation: they can underlie the emergence of spontaneous action potentials in single cells which can lead to arrhythmogenic triggers in tissue. The multi-scale mechanisms of the development of SCRE into arrhythmia triggers, and their dynamic interaction with the tissue substrate, remain elusive; rigorous and simultaneous study of dynamics from the nanometre to the centimetre scale is a major challenge. The aim of this study was to develop a computational approach to overcome this challenge and study potential bi-directional coupling between sub-cellular and tissue-scale arrhythmia phenomena. A framework comprising a hierarchy of computational models was developed, which includes detailed single-cell models describing spatio-temporal calcium dynamics in 3D, efficient non-spatial cell models, and both idealised and realistic tissue models. A phenomenological approach was implemented to reproduce SCRE morphology and variability in the efficient cell models, comprising the definition of analytical Spontaneous Release Functions (SRF) whose parameters may be randomly sampled from appropriate distributions in order to match either the 3D cell models or experimental data. Pro-arrhythmogenic pacing protocols were applied to initiate re-entry and promote calcium overload, leading to the emergence of SCRE. The SRF accurately reproduced the dynamics of SCRE and its dependence on environment variables under multiple different conditions. Sustained re-entrant excitation promoted calcium overload, and led to the emergence of focal excitations after termination. A purely functional mechanism of re-entry and focal activity localisation was demonstrated, related to the unexcited spiral wave core. In conclusion, a novel approach has been developed to dynamically model SCRE at the tissue scale, which facilitates novel, detailed multi-scale mechanistic analysis. It was revealed that complex re-entrant excitation patterns and SCRE may be bi-directionally coupled, promoting novel mechanisms of arrhythmia perpetuation.

'My watch kept on alarming all night about my heart rate': diagnosis of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response in a patient with a recent TIA as the result of a smartwatch alarm

Atrial fibrillation is a leading cause of stroke and early detection and treatment of the condition are critical. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic and may go undetected and untreated in the routine management of patients with ischaemic strokes or transient ischaemic attacks. Prolonged monitoring does increase the diagnosis rate of atrial fibrillation after an ischaemic cerebrovascular event. Biometric and ECG sensors have been integrated with smartphones, apps and wearable devices which may increase rates of diagnosis of arrhythmias. This case study describes an asymptomatic patient who two months after her initial transient ischaemic attack was alerted by her smartwatch about her nocturnal tachycardia and was subsequently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation ensuring appropriate secondary prophylaxis.

Antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with atrial fibrillation in Italy pre- and post-DOACs: the REPAIR study

AIM

To evaluate antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients in Italy with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) before and after direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were approved.

METHODS

This analysis included patients with a discharge diagnosis of NVAF in 2010 and 2014, which constituted the pre- and post-DOACs populations, respectively.

RESULTS

Approximately 90% of patients were eligible for oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy. Overall use of OACs increased from 38% in 2010 to 45% in 2014; use of antiplatelet therapy decreased from 36 to 25%. Approximately 14% of eligible patients remained untreated.

CONCLUSION

Although an improvement in OAC prescription was observed post-DOACs launch, treatment patterns in Italy suggest that a proportion of patients with NVAF are still undertreated or do not receive appropriate therapy.

Description of the Human Atrial Action Potential Derived From a Single, Congruent Data Source: Novel Computational Models for Integrated Experimental-Numerical Study of Atrial Arrhythmia Mechanisms

Introduction: The development of improved diagnosis, management, and treatment strategies for human atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant and important challenge in order to improve quality of life for millions and reduce the substantial social-economic costs of the condition. As a complex condition demonstrating high variability and relation to other cardiac conditions, the study of AF requires approaches from multiple disciplines including single-cell experimental electrophysiology and computational modeling. Models of human atrial cells are less well parameterized than those of the human ventricle or other mammal species, largely due to the inherent challenges in patch clamping human atrial cells. Such challenges include, frequently, unphysiologically depolarized resting potentials and thus injection of a compensatory hyperpolarizing current, as well as detecting certain ion currents which may be disrupted by the cell isolation process. The aim of this study was to develop a laboratory specific model of human atrial electrophysiology which reproduces exactly the conditions of isolated-cell experiments, including testing of multiple experimental interventions. Methods: Formulations for the primary ion currents characterized by isolated-cell experiments in the Workman laboratory were fit directly to voltage-clamp data; the fast sodium-current was parameterized based on experiments relating resting membrane potential to maximal action potential upstroke velocity; compensatory hyperpolarizing current was included as a constant applied current. These formulations were integrated with three independent human atrial cell models to provide a family of novel models. Extrapolated intact-cell models were developed through removal of the hyperpolarizing current and introduction of terminal repolarization potassium currents. Results: The isolated-cell models quantitatively reproduced experimentally measured properties of excitation in both control and pharmacological and dynamic-clamp interventions. Comparison of isolated and intact-cell models highlighted the importance of reproducing this cellular environment when comparing experimental and simulation data. Conclusion: We have developed a laboratory specific model of the human atrial cell which directly reproduces the experimental isolated-cell conditions and captures human atrial excitation properties. The model may be particularly useful for directly relating model to experiment, and offers a complementary tool to the available set of human atrial cell models with specific advantages resulting from the congruent input data source.

Evasion maneuver for transseptal approach during cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation

Purpose

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a cornerstone therapy in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. One current method is performing a PVI using a cryoballoon (CB). The CB is inserted into the left atrium via a steerable sheath. However, at times, passing of the interatrial septum by the sheath is hindered, e.g., due to septal fibrosis. Here we report our experience with an evasion maneuver to facilitate this approach using a 6F multipolar and steerable coronary Sinus catheter (CS) for predilatation of the interatrial septum.

Methods and results

We report 10 patients undergoing a CB-PVI, where the investigator experienced difficulties in passing the interatrial septum with the CB sheath. In these cases, after three conventional abortive attempts, we predilated the transseptal puncture site using both the CS catheter and the dilatator of the CB sheath. Thereafter access of the CB sheath to the left atrium could be achieved instantly and without further resistance.

Conclusion

We report a safe and feasible maneuver to facilitate transseptal access with the CB steerable sheath in cases complicated by excessive interatrial resistance.

Lifetime Risk of Atrial Fibrillation by Race and Socioeconomic Status: ARIC Study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities)

BACKGROUND

Limited information exists on the lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in African Americans and by socioeconomic status.

METHODS

We studied 15 343 participants without AF at baseline from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort recruited in 1987 to 1989 from 4 communities in the United States when they were 45 to 64 years of age. Participants have been followed through 2014. Incidence rates of AF were calculated dividing the number of new cases by person-years of follow-up. Lifetime risk of AF was estimated by a modified Kaplan-Meier method considering death as a competing risk. Participants' family income and education were obtained at baseline.

RESULTS

We identified 2760 AF cases during a mean follow-up of 21 years. Lifetime risk of AF was 36% (95% confidence interval, 32%-38%) in white men, 30% (95% confidence interval, 26%-32%) in white women, 21% (95% confidence interval, 13%-24%) in African American men, and 22% (95% confidence interval, 16%-25%) in African American women. Regardless of race and sex, incidence rates of AF decreased from the lowest to the highest categories of income and education. In contrast, lifetime risk of AF increased in individuals with higher income and education in most sex-race groups. Cumulative incidence of AF was lower in those with higher income and education compared with their low socioeconomic status counterparts through earlier life but was reversed after age 80.

CONCLUSIONS

Lifetime risk of AF in the ARIC cohort was ≈1 in 3 among whites and 1 in 5 among African Americans. Socioeconomic status was inversely associated with cumulative incidence of AF before the last decades of life.

Satisfaction with oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Although, by itself, atrial fibrillation is associated with an impairment of quality of life antithrombotic therapy may play a role.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who attended internal medicine departments in Spain.

METHODS

Patients from two different cross-sectional studies were combined. To measure the satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment, the Anti-Clot-Treatment Scale (ACTS) questionnaire was completed by every patient. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with satisfaction of patients receiving oral anticoagulants.

RESULTS

A total of 1,309 patients (mean age 78.5±8.4 years; 49.3% men; CHA2DS2VASC 4.9±1.5; HAS-BLED 2.0±0.9) were included in the study, of whom 902 (68.9%) were taking vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and 407 (31.1%) direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Overall, satisfaction with oral anticoagulation was high (ACTS Burdens scale 49.69±9.45; ACTS Benefits scale 11.35±2.61). The perceived burdens with anticoagulant treatment were lower in men, as well as in patients with no dependency, normal renal function, who were not polymedicated, or who had moderate bleeding risk. Among patients taking VKA, those subjects with a lower number of International Normalized Ratio (INR) determinations in the last 6 months or with an optimal time in the therapeutic range exhibited a lower perceived burden. Patients taking DOACs (vs VKA) showed a lower perceived burden with anticoagulation. Benefits with anti-coagulation were higher in men, younger patients, those with no dependency, or low bleeding risk. Perceived benefits were higher in patients taking DOACs (vs VKA).

CONCLUSION

Satisfaction with oral anticoagulation was high in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, who were attending internal medicine departments daily in Spain. Among patients taking VKA, those subjects with a lower number of INR determinations in the last 6 months or with an optimal time in the therapeutic range exhibited a lower perceived burden with anticoagulant therapy. Patients taking DOACs (vs VKA) showed lower perceived burdens and higher perceived benefits with anticoagulation.