Risk profile, antithrombotic treatment and clinical outcomes of patients in Nordic countries with atrial fibrillation - results from the GARFIELD-AF registry

Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):485-494. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2021.1893897.

Abstract

Aims: The objective was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, management and two-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation at risk for stroke in Nordic countries.

Methods: We examined the baseline characteristics, antithrombotic treatment, and two-year clinical outcomes of patients from four Nordic countries.

Results: A total of 52,080 patients were enrolled in the GARFIELD-AF. Out of 29,908 European patients, 2,396 were recruited from Nordic countries. The use of oral anticoagulants, alone or in combination with antiplatelet (AP), was higher in Nordic patients in all CHA2DS2-VASc categories: 0-1 (72.8% vs 60.3%), 2-3 (78.7% vs 72.9%) and ≥4 (79.2% vs 74.1%). In Nordic patients, NOAC ± AP was more frequently prescribed (32.0% vs 27.7%) and AP monotherapy was less often prescribed (10.4% vs 18.2%) when compared with Non-Nordic European patients. The rates (per 100 patient years) of all-cause mortality and non-haemorrhagic stroke/systemic embolism (SE) were similar in Nordic and Non-Nordic European patients [3.63 (3.11-4.23) vs 4.08 (3.91-4.26), p value = .147] and [0.98 (0.73-1.32) vs 1.02 (0.93-1.11), p value = .819], while major bleeding was significantly higher [1.66 (1.32-2.09) vs 1.01 (0.93-1.10), p value < .001].

Conclusion: Nordic patients had significantly higher major bleeding than Non-Nordic-European patients. In contrast, rates of all-cause mortality and non-haemorrhagic stroke/SE were comparable.

Clinical trial registration: Unique identifier: NCT01090362. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Key message: Nordic countries had significantly higher major bleeding than Non-Nordic-European countries. Rates of mortality and non-haemorrhagic stroke/SE were similar .

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Nordic countries; antithrombotic treatment; stroke prevention.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / complications
  • Atrial Fibrillation / drug therapy*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / mortality
  • Cause of Death
  • Drug Prescriptions / statistics & numerical data
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Embolism / epidemiology
  • Embolism / etiology
  • Embolism / prevention & control
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Fibrinolytic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Registries
  • Risk Factors
  • Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / epidemiology
  • Stroke / epidemiology
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / prevention & control*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Fibrinolytic Agents
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01090362

Grants and funding

This work was supported by an unrestricted research grant from Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany, to TRI, London, UK, which sponsors the GARFIELD-AF registry. This work is supported by KANTOR CHARITABLE FOUNDATION for the Kantor-Kakkar Global Centre for Thrombosis Science.The funding sources were not involved in data collection, analysis or interpretation.