Regional variation in clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: Findings from the ARISTOTLE trial.

BACKGROUND: Variation in patient characteristics and practice patterns may influence outcomes at a regional level. METHODS: We assessed differences in demographics, practice patterns, outcomes, and the effect of apixaban compared with warfarin in ARISTOTLE (n = 18,201) by prespecified regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The primary outcomes were stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding. RESULTS: Compared with other regions, patients from Asia Pacific were younger, more women were enrolled in Latin America. Coronary artery disease was more prevalent in Europe and Asia Pacific had the highest rate of prior stroke and renal impairment. Over 50% of patients in North America were taking ≥9 drugs at randomization, compared with 10% in Latin America. North America had the highest rates of temporary study drug discontinuation and procedures. Time in therapeutic range (INR 2.0-3.0) on warfarin was highest in North America and lowest in Asia Pacific. After adjustment and compared with Europe, patients in Asia Pacific had 2-fold higher risk of stroke/systemic embolism and 3-fold higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage. Patients in Latin America had 2-fold increased risk of all-cause death compared with Europe. The benefits of apixaban compared with warfarin were consistent across regions; there was a pronounced reduction in major bleeding in patients from Asia Pacific compared with other regions (p-interaction = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AF enrolled in prespecified regions in ARISTOTLE had differences in clinical baseline characteristics and practice patterns. After adjustment, patients in Asia Pacific and Latin America had worse outcomes than patients from other regions. The relative benefits of apixaban compared with warfarin were consistent across regions with an even greater treatment effect in the reduction of bleeding in patients from Asia Pacific.

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

Importance: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes. Objective: To assess the treatment strategies and 1-year clinical outcomes of antithrombotic and CHF therapies for patients with newly diagnosed AF with concomitant CHF stratified by etiology (ischemic cardiomyopathy [ICM] vs nonischemic cardiomyopathy [NICM]). Design, Setting, and Participants: The GARFIELD-AF registry is a prospective, noninterventional registry. A total of 52 014 patients with AF were enrolled between March 2010 and August 2016. A total of 11 738 patients 18 years and older with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks' duration) and at least 1 investigator-determined stroke risk factor were included. Data were analyzed from December 2017 to September 2018. Exposures: One-year follow-up rates of death, stroke/systemic embolism, and major bleeding were assessed. Main Outcomes and Measures: Event rates per 100 person-years were estimated from the Poisson model and Cox hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The median age of the population was 71.0 years, 22 987 of 52 013 were women (44.2%) and 31 958 of 52 014 were white (61.4%). Of 11 738 patients with CHF, 4717 (40.2%) had ICM and 7021 (59.8%) had NICM. Prescription of oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs was not balanced between groups. Oral anticoagulants with or without antiplatelet drugs were used in 2753 patients with ICM (60.1%) and 5082 patients with NICM (73.7%). Antiplatelets were prescribed alone in 1576 patients with ICM (34.4%) and 1071 patients with NICM (15.5%). Compared with patients with NICM, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (72.6% [3439] vs 60.3% [4236]) and of ß blockers (63.3% [2988] vs 53.2% [3737]) was higher in patients with ICM. Rates of all-cause and cardiovascular death per 100 patient-years were significantly higher in the ICM group (all-cause death: ICM, 10.2; 95% CI, 9.2-11.1; NICM, 7.0; 95% CI, 6.4-7.6; cardiovascular death: ICM, 5.1; 95% CI, 4.5-5.9; NICM, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.5-3.4). Stroke/systemic embolism rates tended to be higher in ICM groups compared with NICM groups (ICM, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.6-2.5; NICM, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9). Major bleeding rates were significantly higher in the ICM group (1.1; 95% CI, 0.8-1.4) compared with the NICM group (0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-0.9). Conclusions and Relevance: Patients with ICM received oral anticoagulants with or without antiplatelet drugs less frequently and antiplatelets alone more frequently than patients with NICM, but they received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers more often than patients with NICM. All-cause and cardiovascular death rates were higher in patients with ICM than patients with NICM. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01090362.

Non-major bleeding with apixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the incidence, location and management of non-major bleeding, and assess the association between non-major bleeding and clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving anticoagulation therapy enrolled in Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE). METHODS: We included patients who received ≥1 dose of study drug (n=18 140). Non-major bleeding was defined as the first bleeding event considered to be clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) or minor bleeding, and not preceded by a major bleeding event. RESULTS: Non-major bleeding was three times more common than major bleeding (12.1% vs 3.8%). Like major bleeding, non-major bleeding was less frequent with apixaban (6.4 per 100 patient-years) than warfarin (9.4 per 100 patient-years) (adjusted HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.75). The most frequent sites of non-major bleeding were haematuria (16.4%), epistaxis (14.8%), gastrointestinal (13.3%), haematoma (11.5%) and bruising/ecchymosis (10.1%). Medical or surgical intervention was similar among patients with non-major bleeding on warfarin versus apixaban (24.7% vs 24.5%). A change in antithrombotic therapy (58.6% vs 50.0%) and permanent study drug discontinuation (5.1% (61) vs 3.6% (30), p=0.10) was numerically higher with warfarin than apixaban. CRNM bleeding was independently associated with an increased risk of overall death (adjusted HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.18) and subsequent major bleeding (adjusted HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.04). CONCLUSIONS: In ARISTOTLE, non-major bleeding was common and substantially less frequent with apixaban than with warfarin. CRNM bleeding was independently associated with a higher risk of death and subsequent major bleeding. Our results highlight the importance of any severity of bleeding in patients with AF treated with anticoagulation therapy and suggest that non-major bleeding, including minor bleeding, might not be minor. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00412984; post-results.

Apixaban in patients with atrial fibrillation and prior coronary artery disease: insights from the ARISTOTLE trial.

BACKGROUND: A substantial portion of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) also have coronary artery disease (CAD) and are at risk for coronary events. Warfarin is known to reduce these events, but increase the risk of bleeding. We assessed the effects of apixaban compared with warfarin in AF patients with and without prior CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: In ARISTOTLE, 18,201 patients with AF were randomized to apixaban or warfarin. History of CAD was defined as documented CAD, prior myocardial infarction, and/or history of coronary revascularization. We analyzed baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with and without prior CAD and compared outcomes by randomized treatment using Cox models. A total of 6639 (36.5%) patients had prior CAD. These patients were more often male, more likely to have prior stroke, diabetes, and hypertension, and more often received aspirin at baseline (42.2% vs. 24.5%). The effects of apixaban were similar among patients with and without prior CAD on reducing stroke or systemic embolism and death from any cause (hazard ratio [HR] 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-1.27, P for interaction=0.12; HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.81-1.13, P for interaction=0.28). Rates of myocardial infarction were numerically lower with apixaban than warfarin among patients with and without prior CAD. The effect of apixaban on reducing major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage was consistent in patients with and without CAD. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AF, apixaban more often prevented stroke or systemic embolism and death and caused less bleeding than warfarin, regardless of the presence of prior CAD. Given the common occurrence of AF and CAD and the higher rates of cardiovascular events and death, our results indicate that apixaban may be a better treatment option than warfarin for these high-risk patients.

Troponin I release at rest and after exercise in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the effect of betablockade

PURPOSE OF THE WORK: In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ischemia may occur due to massive heart weight, myocyte disarray or small vessel disease. We detected elevated troponin levels in some of these patients and hypothesized that troponin release would rise after exercise and diminish after betablockade. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 5 of 7 young patients (6 males) with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and no overt coronary artery disease we found elevated troponin levels after physical exercise; the peak was between 6 and 9 hours and levels returned to pre-exercise values within 24 hours. Troponin release was consistently diminished after use of a betablocker. CONCLUSIONS: Increased troponin release may be present in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is temporarily enhanced by exercise and diminishes with betablockade.

Troponin I release at rest and after exercise in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the effect of betablockade.

PURPOSE OF THE WORK: In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ischemia may occur due to massive heart weight, myocyte disarray or small vessel disease. We detected elevated troponin levels in some of these patients and hypothesized that troponin release would rise after exercise and diminish after betablockade. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 5 of 7 young patients (6 males) with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and no overt coronary artery disease we found elevated troponin levels after physical exercise; the peak was between 6 and 9 hours and levels returned to pre-exercise values within 24 hours. Troponin release was consistently diminished after use of a betablocker. CONCLUSIONS: Increased troponin release may be present in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is temporarily enhanced by exercise and diminishes with betablockade.