Association Between Preexisting Versus Newly Identified Atrial Fibrillation and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) may exist before or occur early in the course of pulmonary embolism (PE). We determined the PE outcomes based on the presence and timing of AF. Methods and Results Using the data from a multicenter PE registry, we identified 3 groups: (1) those with preexisting AF, (2) patients with new AF within 2 days from acute PE (incident AF), and (3) patients without AF. We assessed the 90-day and 1-year risk of mortality and stroke in patients with AF, compared with those without AF (reference group). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 792 had preexisting AF. These patients had increased odds of 90-day all-cause (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% CI, 2.33-3.38) and PE-related mortality (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.37-4.14) and increased 1-year hazard for ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 5.48; 95% CI, 3.10-9.69) compared with those without AF. After multivariable adjustment, preexisting AF was associated with significantly increased odds of all-cause mortality (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.57-2.32) but not PE-related mortality (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.66). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 445 developed new incident AF within 2 days of acute PE. Incident AF was associated with increased odds of 90-day all-cause (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.75-2.97) and PE-related (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.01-6.59) mortality but not stroke. Findings were similar in multivariable analyses. Conclusions In patients with acute symptomatic PE, both preexisting AF and incident AF predict adverse clinical outcomes. The type of adverse outcomes may differ depending on the timing of AF onset.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Demographic, clinical, and functional determinants of antithrombotic treatment in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

Altres ajuts: Alliance Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer.Background: This study assessed the sociodemographic, functional, and clinical determinants of antithrombotic treatment in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) attended in the internal medicine setting. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in NVAF patients who attended internal medicine departments for either a routine visit (outpatients) or hospitalization (inpatients). Results: A total of 961 patients were evaluated. Their antithrombotic management included: no treatment (4.7%), vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) (59.6%), direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (21.6%), antiplatelets (6.6%), and antiplatelets plus anticoagulants (7.5%). Permanent NVAF and congestive heart failure were associated with preferential use of oral anticoagulation over antiplatelets, while intermediate-to high-mortality risk according to the PROFUND index was associated with a higher likelihood of using antiplatelet therapy instead of oral anticoagulation. Longer disease duration and institutionalization were identified as determinants of VKA use over DOACs. Female gender, higher education, and having suffered a stroke determined a preferential use of DOACs. Conclusions: This real-world study showed that most elderly NVAF patients received oral anticoagulation, mainly VKAs, while DOACs remained underused. Antiplatelets were still offered to a proportion of patients. Longer duration of NVAF and institutionalization were identified as determinants of VKA use over DOACs. A poor prognosis according to the PROFUND index was identified as a factor preventing the use of oral anticoagulation

COVID-19–associated venous thromboembolism: risk of recurrence and major bleeding

Background: Complications under anticoagulant treatment in patients with COVID-19-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) have not been consistently reported. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the 90-day rates of VTE recurrences and major bleeding in patients with COVID-19-associated VTE versus those with VTE without COVID-19. Methods: We used the RIETE registry to compare the 3-month outcomes in patients with COVID-19-associated VTE versus those with VTE without COVID-19. Results: The study included 1,747 patients with COVID-19-associated VTE and 8,711 with VTE without COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19-associated VTE were more likely to be hospitalized at baseline and to present with pulmonary embolism. During the first 90 days, 123 patients (1.17%) developed VTE recurrences, and 266 (2.54%) experienced major bleeding. Patients with COVID-19-associated VTE had a similar rate of VTE recurrences (0.9% vs 1.2%) but a higher rate of major bleeding (4.6% vs 2.1%; P <.001) than those without COVID-19. Multivariable analysis adjusted for competing risks showed that patients with COVID-19-associated VTE had an increased risk of major bleeding (subhazard ratio, 1.395; 95% confidence interval, 1.037-1.877). The 30-day mortality after major bleeding was 26.3% in patients with COVID-19-associated VTE and 17.7% in those without COVID-19. Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19-associated VTE had a 5-fold higher rate of major bleeding than VTE recurrences during the first 90 days of anticoagulation. In VTE patients without COVID-19, both rates were similar. These findings highlight the importance of carefully monitoring and optimizing anticoagulation in these patients

Machine learning to predict major bleeding during anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism: possibilities and limitations

Predictive tools for major bleeding (MB) using machine learning (ML) might be advantageous over traditional methods. We used data from the Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) to develop ML algorithms to identify patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) at increased risk of MB during the first 3 months of anticoagulation. A total of 55 baseline variables were used as predictors. New data prospectively collected from the RIETE were used for further validation. The RIETE and VTE-BLEED scores were used for comparisons. External validation was performed with the COMMAND-VTE database. Learning was carried out with data from 49 587 patients, of whom 873 (1.8%) had MB. The best performing ML method was XGBoost. In the prospective validation cohort the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and F1 score were: 33.2%, 93%, 10%, and 15.4% respectively. F1 value for the RIETE and VTE-BLEED scores were 8.6% and 6.4% respectively. In the external validation cohort the metrics were 10.3%, 87.6%, 3.5% and 5.2% respectively. In that cohort, the F1 value for the RIETE score was 17.3% and for the VTE-BLEED score 9.75%. The performance of the XGBoost algorithm was better than that from the RIETE and VTE-BLEED scores only in the prospective validation cohort, but not in the external validation cohort

Venous thromboembolism characteristics, treatment and outcomes in young adults: findings from the Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica registry

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rare in patients aged <21 years. Young adults aged 18 to 21 years are frequently included in adult VTE studies, whereas pediatric VTE studies include patients aged up to either 18 or 21 years. The clinical characteristics of young adult patients with VTE have not been well defined. Objectives: We aimed to highlight any unique characteristics or treatment considerations that may apply to young adult patients with VTE. Methods: Data from the prospective, international Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica registry were used. Patients were stratified into subcohorts according to age. The clinical characteristics, risk factors, management, and outcomes of young adult patients with VTE were compared with those of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years and adults aged >21 years. Results: Of 104 253 Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica patients enrolled until August 2022, 234 were adolescents and 884 were young adults. Less cases of pulmonary embolism were reported in adolescents (P < .001). Estrogen use was a common risk factor, more prevalent in adolescents and young adults (P < .001), whereas active cancer and immobilization were uncommon in both. Most patients were initially treated with low-molecular–weight heparin. VTE recurrence, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality rates were comparably low among adolescents and young adults. None of the patients aged <21 years died from VTE recurrence. Conclusion: Young adults have some distinctive VTE risk factors. While VTE presentation may be similar among young adults and older patients, the outcomes of patients aged <21 years are more favorable

The prognostic value of blood cellular indices in pulmonary embolism

Prognostication in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) requires reliable markers. While cellular indices such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) appear promising, their utility in PE prognostication needs further exploration. We utilized data from the RIETE registry and the Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) to assess the prognostic value of NLR, PLR, and SII in acute PE, using logistic regression models. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. We compared their prognostic value versus the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) alone. We included 10 085 patients from RIETE and 700 from the LUMC. Thirty-day mortality rates were 4.6% and 8.3%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, an elevated NLR (>7.0) was associated with increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.46; 95% CI: 2.60–4.60), outperforming the PLR > 220 (aOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.77–3.13), and SII > 1600 (aOR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.90–3.33). The c-statistic for NLR in patients with low-risk PE was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69–0.86). Respective numbers were 0.66 (95% CI: 0.63–0.69) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.59–0.76) for intermediate-risk and high-risk patients. These findings were mirrored in the LUMC cohort. Among 9810 normotensive patients in RIETE, those scoring 0 points in sPESI and with an NLR ≤ 7.0 (35% of the population) displayed superior sensitivity (97.1%; 95% CI: 95.5–98.7) and negative predictive value (99.7%; 95% CI: 99.5–99.8) than sPESI alone (87.1%; 95% CI: 83.9–90.3, and 98.7%; 95% CI: 98.4–99.1, respectively) for 30-day mortality. The NLR is a significant prognostic marker for 30-day mortality in PE patients, especially useful to identify patients with very low-risk PE

Cancer Histology and Natural History of Patients with Lung Cancer and Venous Thromboembolism

Background: In patients with lung cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE), the influence of cancer histology on outcome has not been consistently evaluated. Methods: We used the RIETE registry (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes during anticoagulation in patients with lung cancer and VTE, according to the histology of lung cancer. Results: As of April 2022, there were 482 patients with lung cancer and VTE: adenocarcinoma 293 (61%), squamous 98 (20%), small-cell 44 (9.1%), other 47 (9.8%). The index VTE was diagnosed later in patients with squamous cancer than in those with adenocarcinoma (median, 5 vs. 2 months). In 50% of patients with adenocarcinoma, the VTE appeared within the first 90 days since cancer diagnosis. During anticoagulation (median 106 days, IQR: 45–214), 14 patients developed VTE recurrences, 15 suffered major bleeding, and 218 died: fatal pulmonary embolism 10, fatal bleeding 2. The rate of VTE recurrences was higher than the rate of major bleeding in patients with adenocarcinoma (11 vs. 6 events), and lower in those with other cancer types (3 vs. 9 events). On multivariable analysis, patients with adenocarcinoma had a non-significantly higher risk for VTE recurrences (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.79; 95%CI: 0.76–18.8), a lower risk of major bleeding (HR: 0.29; 95%CI: 0.09–0.95), and a similar risk of mortality (HR: 1.02; 95%CI: 0.76–1.36) than patients with other types of lung cancer. Conclusions: In patients with lung adenocarcinoma, the rate of VTE recurrences outweighed the rate of major bleeding. In patients with other lung cancers, it was the opposite

A prognostic score to identify women at increased risk for abnormal uterine bleeding during anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism

Introduction: Little is known about the clinical characteristics of women at increased risk for abnormal uterine bleeding (UB) during anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods: We used the RIETE registry to identify the baseline characteristics of women developing abnormal UB during anticoagulation. We used logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors for abnormal UB. Then, we built a prognostic score to identify at-risk women. Results: From March 2001 through October 2022, there were 54,372 women with VTE. During anticoagulation (median, 181 days), 318 (0.6%) developed abnormal UB (major bleeding = 88, clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) = 230). On multivariable analysis, women aged <50 years, weighing >70 kg, with uterine cancer, recent UB, anemia, estrogen-related VTE, or receiving rivaroxaban or apixaban were at increased risk for abnormal UB. Using the prognostic score, 42,273 women (78%) were at low-risk, 8,828 (16%) intermediate-, and 3,271 (6.1%) at high-risk for abnormal UB. Their rates of abnormal UB were: 0.28 (95%CI: 0.23–0.35), 1.32 (95%CI: 1.07–1.61) and 7.12 (95%CI: 5.98–8.41) bleeds per 100 patient-years, respectively. The c-statistic was 0.80 (95%CI: 0.77–0.83). The rates of major UB were: 0.06 (95%CI: 0.04–0.09), 0.43 (95%CI: 0.30–0.60) and 1.85 (95%CI: 1.31–2.53) per 100 patient-years, respectively (c-statistic: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.80–0.89). The rates of CRNM uterine bleeding were: 0.21 (95%CI: 0.17–0.26), 0.85 (95%CI: 0.65–1.08), and 5.02 (95%CI: 4.09–6.10) bleeds per 100 patient-years, respectively (c-statistic: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.75–0.82). Conclusions: Using 7 variables easily available at admission, we built a prognostic score that reliably identified women with VTE at increased risk for abnormal UB during anticoagulation

Clinical outcomes after discontinuing anticoagulant therapy in patients with first unprovoked venous thromboembolism

Background: The duration of anticoagulation for a first episode of unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) should balance the likelihood of VTE recurrence against the risk of major bleeding. Objectives: Analyze rates and case-fatality rates (CFRs) of recurrent VTE and major bleeding after discontinuing anticoagulation in patients with a first unprovoked VTE after at least 3 months of anticoagulation. Methods: We compared the rates and CFRs in patients of the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad Trombo Embólica (RIETE) and Contemporary management and outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism registries. We used logistic regression models to identify predictors for recurrent pulmonary embolism (PE) and major bleeding. Results: Of 8261 patients with unprovoked VTE in RIETE registry, 4012 (48.6%) had isolated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 4250 had PE. Follow-up (median, 318 days) showed 543 recurrent DVTs, 540 recurrent PEs, 71 major bleeding episodes, and 447 deaths. The Contemporary management and outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism registry yielded similar results. Corresponding CFRs of recurrent DVT, PE, and major bleeding were 0.4%, 4.6%, and 24%, respectively. On multivariable analyses, initial PE presentation (hazard ratio [HR], 3.03; 95% CI, 2.49-3.69), dementia (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01-2.13), and anemia (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.91) predicted recurrent PE, whereas older age (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.15-3.87), inflammatory bowel disease (HR, 4.39; 95% CI, 1.00-19.3), and anemia (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.35-3.73) predicted major bleeding. Prognostic scores were formulated, with C statistics of 0.63 for recurrent PE and 0.69 for major bleeding. Conclusion: Recurrent DVT and PE were frequent but had low CFRs (0.4% and 4.6%, respectively) after discontinuing anticoagulation. On the contrary, major bleeding was rare but had high CFR (24%). A few clinical factors may predict these outcomes