Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42902140›Full record

SynthesisBMC cardiovascular disorders2026

Epidemiology, comorbidity profiles, and oral anticoagulation patterns among patients with atrial fibrillation in Turkey: a meta-analysis of national registry-based and multicenter observational studies.

Mehmet Kış, Mehmet Emin Arayici, Bihter Şentürk, Mehdi Zoghi

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC cardiovascular disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mehmet KışDepartment of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0775-8992
Mehmet Emin ArayiciDepartment of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, 15 July Medicine Campus, Inciralti-Balcova 35340, Izmir, Türkiye. mehmet.e.arayici@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0492-5129
Bihter ŞentürkDepartment of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3568-4476
Mehdi ZoghiDepartment of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8156-2675

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a major public health burden globally, associated with increased risk of stroke and mortality. While real-world data on AF management have expanded globally, comprehensive syntheses from developing countries such as Turkey remain limited. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluates the epidemiological characteristics, comorbidity profiles, and patterns of oral anticoagulant (OAC) use among patients with AF in Turkey based on national registry-based and multicenter observational studies.

methodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase was conducted on 15 November 2025, and subsequently updated on 8 July 2026 to identify studies of Turkish AF patients. Included registries were conducted between 2013 and 2024. Data were extracted on demographics, clinical risk scores (CHA₂DS₂-VASc, HAS-BLED), comorbidities, AF type, and OAC patterns. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses with restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimation and Knapp-Hartung adjustments.

resultsSix registries comprising 18,219 Turkish AF patients were included. The pooled mean age was 69 years (95% CI: 66.9-71.2), with 58% (95% CI: 0.56-0.60) female representation. Hypertension (0.76, 95% CI: 0.71-0.80) and diabetes mellitus (0.25, 95% CI: 0.21-0.28) were the most common comorbidities. The mean CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were 3.67 (95% CI: 2.99-4.35) and 1.72 (95% CI: 1.36-2.08), respectively, reflecting moderate-to-high thromboembolic risk and moderate bleeding risk. Persistent/permanent AF accounted for 0.73 (95% CI: 0.57-0.89) of cases, although the very high heterogeneity warrants caution. Because three registries enrolled patients on the basis of NOAC therapy by design, treatment-pattern estimates were stratified by registry type. Among all-comer registries, pooled NOAC use was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.20-0.90) and overall OAC use was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.49-0.98), whereas pooling all registries produced inflated estimates (NOAC 0.97, OAC 0.99); VKA use was correspondingly higher in all-comer registries (0.24, 95% CI: 0.10-0.47). Procedural interventions such as ablation (3%) and cardioversion (9%) remained infrequent.

conclusionsThis meta-analysis of registry-based and multicenter observational studies suggests progress in pharmacological stroke prevention among AF patients in Turkey, with greater NOAC use in later and all-comer registries. However, the low use of rhythm-control strategies and the substantial inter-registry heterogeneity indicate ongoing gaps in AF management that warrant cautious interpretation and system-level improvements.

Indexed as

AnticoagulantsAtrial FibrillationPractice Patterns, Physicians'StrokeAdministration, OralAgedAged, 80 and overComorbidityFemaleHemorrhageHumansMaleMiddle AgedMulticenter Studies as TopicObservational Studies as TopicRegistriesAnticoagulantsAtrial fibrillationEpidemiologyNOACsOral anticoagulationTurkey

Identifiers

PMID42902140
PMCPMC13685384

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.