Clinical characteristics, adherence to anticoagulation therapy and prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation: a real-life study.

backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent tachyarrhythmia, and a comprehensive understanding of its clinical features is essential for optimizing therapeutic management. However, the unregulated use of anticoagulants in AF remains a concern, as their efficacy and safety profiles are not yet fully understood.

methodsData from AF patients were collected in 2013, 2018, and 2023. First, cross-sectional data on AF patients were gathered during each period to longitudinally evaluate long-term trends in AF characteristics and the progression of anticoagulation therapy. Additionally, predictors of non-regulated dosing of oral anticoagulants (OAC) were analyzed. Second, patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) were prospectively followed for 24 and 60 months with different NOAC doses to assess the risk of clinical outcome events and to analyze independent risk factors for clinical outcomes.

resultsThis study included 2825 AF patients, with 394 patients undergoing longitudinal follow-up. Paroxysmal AF (49.70%) and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) (86.30%) were the most prevalent forms with advanced age being a prominent characteristic. Independent predictors of unregulated NOAC use included age, renal insufficiency, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, and bleeding risk. At the 24-month follow-up, patients who received overdosed NOAC exhibited a higher mortality rate compared to those who were inappropriately underdosed (18.75 vs.10.92 events/patient-year, P = 0.017). At the 60-month follow-up, both all-cause mortality (10.00 vs. 6.49 events per patient-year, P = 0.019; 10.00 vs. 6.21 events per patient-year, P = 0.005) and the composite endpoint event rate (12.50 vs. 9.61 events per patient-year, P = 0.017; 12.50 vs. 9.32 events per patient-year, P = 0.013) were significantly higher in the overdosing group compared to standard and underdosing groups. Age and anemia were identified as risk factors for all-cause mortality, while renal insufficiency was associated with an increased risk of composite endpoint events.

conclusionAF remains a major disease burden, especially in elderly patients. For Asians, NOAC underdosing was still effective in preventing stroke, but its efficacy and safety need to be further validated through larger-scale clinical trials. Meanwhile, overdosing of NOAC should be avoided. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.