Real-life anticoagulation treatment of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: Possible overtreatment of low-risk patients

Nikolaos Dagres; Gerhard Hindricks; Hans Kottkamp; Philipp Sommer; Thomas Gaspar; Kerstin Bode; Arash Arya; Loukianos S. Rallidis; Dimitrios Th. Kremastinos; Christopher Piorkowski

doi:10.1160/TH09-03-0184

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2009; 102(04): 754-758
DOI: 10.1160/TH09-03-0184

Cardiovascular Biology and Cell Signalling

Schattauer GmbH

Real-life anticoagulation treatment of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: Possible overtreatment of low-risk patients

Authors

Nikolaos Dagres

¹University of Athens, Second Cardiology Department, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Gerhard Hindricks

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany
Hans Kottkamp

³Heart Center Hirslanden, Department of Electrophysiology, Zurich, Switzerland
Philipp Sommer

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany
Thomas Gaspar

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany
Kerstin Bode

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany
Arash Arya

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany
Loukianos S. Rallidis

¹University of Athens, Second Cardiology Department, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Dimitrios Th. Kremastinos

¹University of Athens, Second Cardiology Department, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Christopher Piorkowski

²University of Leipzig, Heart Center, Department of Electrophysiology, Leipzig, Germany

Abstract

Summary

Catheter ablation provides curative treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Data on anticoagulation after the procedure are sparse. We investigated real-life antithrombotic treatment after AF ablation and examined its adherence to current recommendations. Eight hundred forty-four patients (age 58 ±10 years) underwent AF ablation. Most patients had a CHADS₂ score of 0 (46%) or 1 (45%). Seven-day Holter was performed at three, six and 12 months after ablation. Decision on anticoagulation treatment was made by general practitioners and referring cardiologists in consultation with the patients. At discharge, anticoagulants were prescribed for the vast majority (94–96%) of patients. This percentage remained high at three and six months (80–90%) without differences between stroke risk groups. At 12 months, the use of anticoagulants was mainly influenced by the detection of recurrence; usage exceeded 90% in all stroke risk groups in patients with recurrences. In patients without recurrences, differences between risk groups were significant but small, ranging from 42% (CHADS₂=0) to 62% (CHADS₂≥2) (p=0.033). In multivariate analysis, the only factor independently associated with oral anticoagulation at 12 months was the detection of recurrences (odds ratio=16.2, p<0.001), whereas the effect of the CHADS₂ score was not significant (p=0.080).The effect of all other examined factors was also not significant. Contrary to current recommendations, anticoagulation after AF ablation is hardly guided by the stroke risk profile and remains high even in low-risk patients. The most important factor influencing the use of anticoagulants is the detection of recurrences during follow-up. This results in possible overtreatment of low-risk patients.

Keywords

Atrial fibrillation - catheter ablation - oral anticoagulation - stroke risk

Full Text

References

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