Anticoagulation in device-detected atrial fibrillation with or without vascular disease: a combined analysis of the NOAH-AFNET 6 and ARTESiA trials

Renate B Schnabel, Juan Benezet-Mazuecos, Nina Becher, William F McIntyre, Alexander Fierenz, Shun Fu Lee, Andreas Goette, Dan Atar, Emanuele Bertaglia, Alexander P Benz, Gregory Chlouverakis, David H Birnie, Wolfgang Dichtl, Carina Blomstrom-Lundqvist, A John Camm, Julia W Erath, Emmanuel Simantirakis, Valentina Kutyifa, Gregory Y H Lip, Philippe MaboEloi Marijon, Lena Rivard, Ulrich Schotten, Marco Alings, Susanne Sehner, Tobias Toennis, Cecilia Linde, Panos Vardas, Christopher B Granger, Antonia Zapf, Renato D Lopes, Jeff S Healey, Paulus Kirchhof*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The optimal antithrombotic therapy in patients with device-detected atrial fibrillation (DDAF) is unknown. Concomitant vascular disease can modify the benefits and risks of anticoagulation. METHODS: These pre-specified analyses of the NOAH-AFNET 6 (n=2534 patients) and ARTESiA (n=4012 patients) trials compared anticoagulation to no anticoagulation in patients with DDAF with or without vascular disease, defined as prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, coronary or peripheral artery disease. Efficacy outcomes were the primary outcomes of both trials, a composite of stroke, systemic arterial embolism (SE), myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or cardiovascular death, and stroke or SE. Safety outcomes were major bleeding or major bleeding and death. RESULTS: In patients with vascular disease (NOAH-AFNET 6 56%, ARTESiA 46.0%), stroke, myocardial infarction, systemic or pulmonary embolism, or cardiovascular death occurred at 3.9%/patient-year with and 5.0%/patient-year without anticoagulation (NOAH-AFNET 6), and 3.2%/patient-year with and 4.4%/patient-year without anticoagulation (ARTESiA). Without vascular disease, outcomes were equal with and without anticoagulation (NOAH-AFNET 6 2.7%/patient-year, ARTESiA 2.3%/patient-year in both randomised groups). Meta-analysis found consistent results across both trials (I2heterogeneity=6%) with a trend for interaction with randomised therapy (pinteraction=0.08). Stroke/SE behaved similarly. Anticoagulation increased major bleeding in vascular disease patients (edoxaban 2.1%/patient-year, no anticoagulation 1.3%/patient-year; apixaban 1.7%/patient-year; no anticoagulation 1.1%/patient-year; incidence rate ratio 1.55 [1.10-2.20]) and without vascular disease (edoxaban 2.2%/patient-year; no anticoagulation 0.6%/patient-year; apixaban 1.4%/patient-year; no anticoagulation 1.1%/patient-year, incidence rate ratio 1.93 [0.72-5.20]). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DDAF and vascular disease are at higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular events and may derive a greater benefit from anticoagulation than patients with DDAF without vascular disease.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Heart Journal
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2 Sept 2024

Keywords

  • atrial fibrillation
  • device-detected atrial fibrillation
  • oral anticoagulation
  • stroke
  • trial

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