Coagulation Disorders and Thrombotic Complications in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with multiple cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidities and risk factors which increase the risk of thrombotic complications, such as atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subsequently, thromboembolic risk stratification in this population poses a great challenge. Since date from the large randomized clinical trials mostly include both patients with truly preserved EF, and those with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction, there is an unmet need to characterize the patients with truly preserved EF. Considering the significant evidence gap in this area, we sought to describe the coagulation disorders and thrombotic complications in patients with HFpEF and discuss the specific thromboembolic risk factors in patients with HFpEF, with the goal to tailor risk stratification to an individual patient.

Antithrombotic treatment switching in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation and the risk of thromboembolism, bleeding, and cardiac death

Background

Risks of antithrombotic switching is not investigated in elderly atrial fibrillation patients.

Objectives

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of antithrombotic treatment and switching of antithrombotic treatment in elderly patients (aged 75 years or older) with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

We conducted a cohort study of 2943 patients with AF (Carrebean‐elderly), hospitalized during 2010–2017. Cox models were used to estimate the association of antithrombotic treatment (warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants [DOAC] and non–guideline‐recommended therapy [NG], i.e., aspirin and low‐molecular‐weight heparin) at discharge and antithrombotic treatment switching during follow‐up with the risk of a composite and single end points of thromboembolism, bleeding, and cardiac death. Crude and adjusted risk estimates were expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All‐cause death was evaluated, with competing risk regression and estimates expressed as subhazard ratios and 95% CIs.

Results

We observed an increased risk for the composite end point associated with NG as compared to warfarin at discharge (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01–1.38) with congruent competing risk regression results, while no significant risk difference was seen for DOACs compared to warfarin (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.92–1.36). Switching from NG to warfarin/DOAC and from warfarin to DOAC occurred in 30.4% and 33.1% of respective antithrombotic treatment groups at discharge and was associated with a decreased risk for the composite end point with an adjusted HR of 0.45 (95% CI, 0.32–0.63) and a HR of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.38–0.65), respectively.

Conclusions

Antithrombotic treatment switching is common in the elderly AF population. Importantly, switching to guideline‐recommended treatment has a favorable impact on both effectiveness and safety.

Is the association of QTc with atrial fibrillation and stroke in cohort studies a matter of time?

Objectives

To investigate the association of the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischaemic stroke.

Methods

We estimated the risk of AF and ischaemic stroke associated with QTc duration (ms) by Cox regression in study participants from the cohort of 60-year-old men and women from Stockholm (60YO) (n=4232). Univariate and multivariate adjusted risk estimates were expressed as HR and 95% CI. Main results were validated in elderly patients with AF, included in the Carebbean-e study, where an ECG in sinus rhythm (SR) (ECG-SR) recorded before the ECG diagnostic for (ECG-AF) was available (n=803). We estimated the correlation between the time interval (years) between the ECG-SR and ECG-AF with the QTc duration, by the Spearman correlation coefficient (rho).

Results

In the 60YO, the highest QTc duration quartile (>427 ms) associated with the AF risk (n=435) with a multivariable adjusted HR of 1.68 and 95% CI (1.26 to 2.24). No association was observed with ischaemic stroke. In the Carebbean-e study, no significant association was observed between the QTc duration measured on the ECG-SR and risk of ischaemic stroke during follow-up. QTc duration showed an inverse correlation (rho: −0.26, p<0.0001) with the time interval intercurred between ECG-SR and ECG-AF.

Conclusions

The association of QTc duration with AF risk might depend on the time interval between the QTc measurement and the clinical diagnosis of AF. No association was observed between QTc duration and ischaemic stroke.

Coagulopathy and sepsis: Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and treatment

Sepsis is a complex syndrome with a high incidence, increasing by 8.7% annually over the last 20 years. Coagulopathy is a leading factor associated with mortality in patients with sepsis and range from slight thrombocytopenia to fatal disorders, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Platelet reactivity increases during sepsis but prospective trials of antiplatelet therapy during sepsis have been disappointing. Thrombocytopenia is a known predictor of worse prognosis during sepsis. The mechanisms underlying thrombocytopenia in sepsis have yet to be fully understood but likely involves decreased platelet production, platelet sequestration and increased consumption. DIC is an acquired thrombohemorrhagic syndrome, resulting in intravascular fibrin formation, microangiopathic thrombosis, and subsequent depletion of coagulation factors and platelets. DIC can be resolved with treatment of the underlying disorder, which is considered the cornerstone in the management of this syndrome. This review presents the current knowledge on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis-associated coagulopathies.

Clinical characteristics and antithrombotic prescription in elderly hospitalized atrial fibrillation patients: A cross-sectional analysis of a Swedish single-center clinical cohort

BACKGROUND

Antithrombotic treatment represents a dilemma in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation since both risk of thromboembolism and bleeding are age-dependent complications. A paradigm shift occurred over the past 10 years when aspirin was overcome by warfarin and further by the direct oral anticoagulants. Here we present a clinical practice-based analysis of a cohort of elderly inpatient atrial fibrillation patients and investigate the influence of clinical factors in the choice of antithrombotic strategy.

METHODS

Study participants (n = 2943) are consecutive patients aged 75-104 years discharged from a Swedish university hospital with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter as main diagnosis between November 1st 2010 and December 31st 2017. Cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities and antithrombotic treatment at discharge were manually extracted from medical charts. A logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate predictors of the probability to receive direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared to warfarin.

RESULTS

Patients aged ≥90 y (n = 446, women 73%) showed the highest prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities and the highest bleeding and thromboembolic risk. DOACs became more commonly prescribed than warfarin in 2016/2017 across all ages. However, the probability to receive DOAC as compared to warfarin was lower in the presence of high bleeding risk (OR 0,55; 95% CI 0,40-0,77; p = 0,00) and high thromboembolic risk (OR 0,74; 95% CI 0,59-0,94; p = 0,01).

CONCLUSION

Elderly atrial fibrillation patients represent a heterogenous group where the oldest (≥90 years) show both a very high thromboembolic and bleeding risk profile. In the presence of high thromboembolic and bleeding risk, warfarin was still preferred over DOAC.