Five vital anticoagulation reads from the summer

Cardiology Today has compiled coverage of major anticoagulation research recently published in journals, offering clinicians an overview of where the field stands in the use and effects of various therapies to manage CVD. Read on for five important stories from the summer season.

Oral anticoagulant use for treatment of atrial fibrillation rising

From 2009 to 2014, the use of direct oral anticoagulants for the treatment of patients with AF increased from 880,000 to 1.72 million, according to an analysis of outpatient office visits in the United States.

Researchers evaluated data on outpatient office visits collected via the IMS Health National Disease and Therapeutic Index. The index comprises data collected from office-based physicians in the United States and is intended to provide a nationally representative sample of disease patterns and treatment, according to study background information. Read more

Treatment of AF varies by race, sex

Among Medicare beneficiaries with newly diagnosed AF, receipt of oral anticoagulation and catheter ablation was more common in men and white adults compared with women and Hispanic adults, according to results published in Heart Rhythm.

A team of researchers analyzed administrative encounter data for 517,941 Medicare beneficiaries (41% men) in 2010-2011, cataloging services received after an initial diagnosis of AF, including visits with a cardiologist or electrophysiologist, catheter ablation procedures, use of oral anticoagulants, use of rate control agents and use of antiarrhythmic drugs. The cohort was 87% white, 7% black and 6% Hispanic.Read more

Lower socioeconomic status may confer hemorrhage risk in older adults using warfarin

Among older patients with AF using warfarin, lower socioeconomic status was associated with a greater risk for hemorrhage and hemorrhage-related mortality.

Researchers conducted a population-based cohort study of 166,742 adults aged 66 years and older. All patients had AF and were receiving continuous treatment with warfarin. The researchers linked Statistics Canada Census information with individual postal codes to acquire median neighborhood income levels. The patients were then divided based on income levels. The median follow-up was 369 days. Read more

Dabigatran, rivaroxaban continuation acceptable during cutaneous surgery

Patients treated with anticoagulants dabigatran and rivaroxaban did not experience severe hemorrhagic complications during cutaneous surgery, and continuation of the medications during surgery is a reasonable approach, according to study results.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, conducted a retrospective chart analysis of patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery or basic excision while being treated with dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen) between 2010 and Sept. 1, 2013. Read more

Meta-analysis: LAA closure confers CV mortality benefit vs. warfarin in AF

Findings from a meta-analysis of the PROTECT AF and PREVAIL trials indicated that left atrial appendage closure yielded a survival benefit compared with warfarin in patients with nonvalvular AF.

The researchers assessed data from the PROTECT AF and PREVAIL randomized controlled trials to compare left atrial appendage (LAA) closure vs. warfarin for the prevention of stroke, systemic embolism and CV death. Read more

Source: www.healio.com