P2770Clinical characteristics and outcomes of venous thromboembolism according to patients with versus without atrial fibrillation: from the COMMAND VTE Registry
Authors: Oi M , Yamashita Y , Morimoto T , Amano H , Takase T , Hiramori S , Kim K , Kobayashi Y , Tada T , Murata K , Murata K , Toyofuku M , Jinnnai T , Kaitani K , Kimura T 
Published: October 2019

Background/Introduction

Oral anticoagulants are widely used for the treatment and second prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). VTE and AF are common diseases and these sometimes might coexist. However, there are few reports about the relationship between VTE and AF.

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes in VTE patients with AF.

Methods

The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling consecutive 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE objectively confirmed by imaging examination or by autopsy among 29 centers in Japan between January 2010 and August 2014. The current study population consisted of 129 patients with AF (AF group) and 2898 patients without AF (non-AF group). We compared the clinical characteristics, management strategies and long-term outcomes between the 2 groups.

Results

The AF group was older (mean age: 75.3 vs. 66.8 years, P<0.001), and more often had co-morbidities such as hypertension (54.3% vs. 37.7%, P<0.001), diabetes mellitus (20.2% vs. 12.4%, P=0.01), chronic kidney disease (28.7% vs. 18.5%, P=0.004), heart failure (28.7% vs. 18.5%, P=0.004), history of stroke (20.2% vs. 8.4%, P<0.001), and history of major bleeding (12.4% vs. 7.4%, P=0.04) compared with the non-AF group, whereas there were no significant differences in the proportions of active cancer at diagnosis (18.6% vs. 23.2%, P=0.23) and pulmonary embolism at presentation (64.3% vs. 56.3%, P=0.07). The proportion of anticoagulation therapy beyond acute phase was not significantly different (94% vs. 93%, P=0.60), while the cumulative discontinuation rates of anticoagulation therapy was significantly lower in the AF group (26.9% vs. 43.4% at 3 years, Log-rank P=0.03). The cumulative 5-year incidences of recurrent VTE and major bleeding were not significantly different (Recurrent VTE: 7.6% vs. 10.6%, Log-rank P=0.89; Major bleeding: 18.6% vs. 11.8%, Log-rank P=0.07). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risks of the AF group relative to the non-AF group for recurrent VTE and major bleeding remained insignificant (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.54–2.28, P=0.64; HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.73–2.06, P=0.37). The cumulative 5-year incidence of all-cause death was significantly higher in the AF-group (49.1% vs. 28.6%, Log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risks of the AF group relative to the non-AF group for all-cause death remained significant (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23–2.15, P<0.001). The proportion of deaths due to cancer was lower in the AF group (30% vs. 55%, P<0.001), while the proportion of cardiac deaths was higher in the AF group (16.1% vs. 4.0%, P<0.001).

The outcomes of VTE patients with AF

Conclusions

The risks for recurrent VTE between patients with AF and those without AF were not significantly different, although patients with AF received longer-term anticoagulation therapy, whereas the risks for major bleeding tended to be higher in patients with AF.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Research Institute for Production Development, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation