Anticoagulation Status and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Indications in Hospitalized Cardiology Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Hellenic Cardiorenal Morbidity Snapshot (HECMOS) Sub-Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The proper use of oral anticoagulants is crucial in the management of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) may be considered for stroke prevention in patients with AF and contraindications for long-term anticoagulant treatment. We aimed to assess anticoagulation status and LAAC indications in patients with AF from the HECMOS (Hellenic Cardiorenal Morbidity Snapshot) survey. Materials and Methods: The HECMOS was a nationwide snapshot survey of cardiorenal morbidity in hospitalized cardiology patients. HECMOS used an electronic platform to collect demographic and clinically relevant information from all patients hospitalized on 3 March 2022 in 55 different cardiology departments. In this substudy, we included patients with known AF without mechanical prosthetic valves or moderate-to-severe mitral valve stenosis. Patients with prior stroke, previous major bleeding, poor adherence to anticoagulants, and end-stage renal disease were considered candidates for LAAC. Results: Two hundred fifty-six patients (mean age 76.6 ± 11.7, 148 males) were included in our analysis. Most of them (n = 159; 62%) suffered from persistent AF. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 4.28 ± 1.7, while the mean HAS-BLED score was 1.47 ± 0.9. Three out of three patients with a a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 or 1 (female) were inappropriately anticoagulated. Sixteen out of eighteen patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score 1 or 2 (if female) received anticoagulants. Thirty-one out of two hundred thirty-five patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score > 1 or 2 (if female) were inappropriately not anticoagulated. Relative indications for LAAC were present in 68 patients with NVAF (63 had only one risk factor and 5 had two concurrent risk factors). In detail, 36 had a prior stroke, 17 patients had a history of major bleeding, 15 patients reported poor or no adherence to the anticoagulant therapy and 5 had an eGFR value < 15 mL/min/1.73 m² for a total of 73 risk factors. Moreover, 33 had a HAS-BLED score ≥ 3. No LAAC treatment was recorded. Conclusions: Anticoagulation status was nearly optimal in a high-thromboembolic-risk population of cardiology patients who were mainly treated using NOACs. One out of four AF patients should be screened for LAAC.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; heart failure; rhythm strategy; snapshot.

Figure 1

Anticoagulation therapy in different thromboembolic-risk AF patients according to the CHA2DS2-VASc score (AT: anticoagulation therapy).

Figure 2

Potential candidates for left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). Causes for LAAC indication (third column) are non-mutually exclusive, i.e., five patients had two factors concomitantly (three experienced major bleeding plus end-stage renal disease and two experienced major bleeding plus stroke while on anticoagulant medication).