Differences in the risk of stroke, bleeding events, and mortality between female and male patients with atrial fibrillation during warfarin therapy

Females with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been suggested to carry a higher risk for thromboembolic events than males. We compared the residual risk of stroke, bleeding events, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality among female and male AF patients taking warfarin. Data from several nationwide registries and laboratory databases were linked with the civil registration number of the patients. A total of 54568 patients with data on the quality of warfarin treatment (time in therapeutic range) 60days prior to the events were included (TTR60). Gender differences in the endpoints were reported for the whole population, pre-specified age groups, and different TTR60 groups. During the 3.21.6years follow-up, there were no differences in the adjusted risk of stroke [hazard ratio (HR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.911.03, P=0.304] between the genders. Cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.780.88, P <0.001) and all-cause mortality (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.750.83, P <0.001) were lower in women when compared with men. There were no differences in the risk of stroke, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality between the genders in the TTR60 categories except for those with TTR60 <50%. Bleeding events were less frequent in females (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.490.56, P <0.001). There were no differences in the risk of stroke between female and male AF patients taking warfarin. Cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and risk of bleeding events were lower in females. Hence, female gender was not a risk marker for adverse outcomes in AF patients with proper warfarin therapy.Peer reviewe

Poor Quality of Warfarin Treatment Increases the Risk of All Types of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating complication of oral anticoagulation. The aim of this study was to describe the spectrum of ICH and to evaluate the association of warfarin control with the risk of ICH in a nationwide cohort of unselected atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Methods and Results: The FinWAF is a retrospective registry-linkage study. Data were collected from several nationwide Finnish health-care registers and laboratory databases. The primary outcome was any ICH (traumatic or non-traumatic). The quality of warfarin therapy was assessed continuously by calculating the time in therapeutic range in a 60-day window (TTR60). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used. A total of 53,953 patients were included (53% men; mean age, 73 years; mean follow-up, 2.94 years; mean TTR, 63%). In 129,684 patient-years, 1,196 patients had ICH (non-traumatic, 53.5%; traumatic, 43.6%; traumatic subdural, 38.6%); crude annual rate, 0.92%; 95% CI: 0.87-0.98). A lower TTR60 was significantly associated with higher risk of ICH (TTR60 80%; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.16; 95% CI: 1.83-2.54). Other variables independently associated with ICH included age >65 years, previous stroke, male sex, low hemoglobin, thrombocytopenia, elevated alanine aminotransferase, and previous bleeding other than ICH. Conclusions: Poor control of warfarin treatment was associated with elevated risk of ICH. Approximately half of the ICH were traumatic, mainly subdural.Peer reviewe

Clinical factors associated with initiation of and persistence with ADP receptor-inhibiting oral antiplatelet treatment after acute coronary syndrome: a nationwide cohort study from Finland

OBJECTIVES: To study patient selection for and persistence with ADP receptor-inhibiting oral antiplatelet (OAP) treatment after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DESIGN: Observational, retrospective, cohort study linking real-life patient-level register data. SETTING: Nationwide drug usage study using data of patients with ACS discharged from hospitals in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: The study population consisted of 54 416 patients (aged ≥18 years) following hospital admission for unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction during 2009–2013. Patients were classified as either OAP or non-OAP users based on drug purchases within 7 days of discharge. OUTCOME MEASURES: Initiation of and a 12-month persistence with OAP medication. RESULTS: In total, 49% of patients with ACS received OAP treatment after hospital discharge. Women represented 40% of the population, but only 32% of them became OAP users (adjusted OR for initiation compared with men 0.8; p<0.001). Patients not treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), elderly and patients with dementia/Alzheimer's disease, atrial fibrillation or warfarin treatment were less likely to be treated with OAP. If initiated, they were less likely to complete the recommended 12 months’ medication (adjusted risk increment >38% and p<0.001 for all). The OAP users showed good compliance with immediate initiation (92% within 1 day of discharge) and high mean medication possession rate (99%). Among OAP users, the usage of other secondary prevention drugs after ACS was more common than in non-OAP-treated patients (difference >20 percentage points for each). CONCLUSIONS: Only half of the patients with ACS received guideline-recommended ADP receptor-inhibiting OAP treatment after hospital discharge, suggesting suboptimal treatment practices. Non-PCI-treated patients and patients with increased age, unstable angina, dementia or atrial fibrillation appear to have the highest risk of deficient treatment with OAPs. OAP users, however, showed good compliance during drug usage

Overall survival and second primary malignancies in men with metastatic prostate cancer

Background: Among prostate cancer (PC) patients, over 90% of distant metastases occur in the bone. PC treatments may be associated with side effects, including second primary malignancies (SPM). There is limited information on the incidence of SPM among men with bone metastatic PC (mPC) and among men with bone metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC). We estimated overall survival and the incidence of SPM in men with mPC and mCRPC. Methods: In the Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden, the National Prostate Cancer Register was linked to other national health care registers, 15,953 men with mPC in 1999-2011 were identified. Further, 693 men with mCRPC were identified. Outcomes were evaluated using stratified incidence rates, Kaplan-Meier estimators and Cox models. Results: The mean age among men with mPC was 73.9 years and in men with mCRPC 70.0 years. The median respective survivals were 1.5 (13,965 deaths) and 1.14 years (599 deaths), and average times since PC diagnosis 1.8 and 4.7 years. We observed 2,669 SPMs in men with mPC and 100 SPMs in men with mCRPC. The incidence rate of SPM per 1,000 person-years was 81.8 (78.8-85.0) for mPC and 115.6 (95.1-140.7) for mCRPC. High age, prior neoplasms, urinary tract infection, congestive heart failure, diabetes and renal disease were most strongly associated with increased mortality risk. Prior neoplasms and prior use of antineoplastic agents were most strongly associated with increased SPM risk. Several factors associated with increased mortality and SPM risks were more prevalent in the mCRPC cohort. Conclusions: Our results on mortality for men with mPC and mCRPC are in line with previous studies from the same time period. Investigation of factors associated with mortality and SPM in men with mPC and mCRPC can help to further understand these outcomes in the era prior to several new treatments have come available