AUTHOR=Pinto Susana Silva , Teixeira Andreia , Henriques Teresa S. , Monteiro Hugo , Martins Carlos 

TITLE=AF-React study: Prevalence of thrombotic events in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving NOACs – real-world data analysis from northern Portugal primary healthcare

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1273304

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2024.1273304

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Anticoagulation is recommended for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The guidelines suggest non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs) as the primary therapy for anticoagulation in AF. Several patient-related factors increase the risk of thrombotic events: elderly individuals, a previous history of stroke, and chronic kidney disease. This study aims to determine the association between NOACs and other patient variables in AF and the occurrence of thrombotic events.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The database included all adults with the code K78 (ICPC-2 code for AF) who received clinical care in Northern Portugal’s Primary Health Care between January 2016 and December 2018 and were dispensed the same NOAC at the pharmacy.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results indicate that 10.2% of AF patients on NOAC anticoagulation experienced a stroke. Furthermore, patients treated with apixaban and dabigatran had higher odds of experiencing a stroke compared to those treated with rivaroxaban. Among patients with the same age, gender, and CHA<sub>2</sub>DS<sub>2</sub>Vasc Score, apixaban was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of thrombotic events than rivaroxaban.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>These results have not been previously reported in studies with real-world data; therefore, a more detailed analysis should be conducted to enhance the validity of these findings.</p></sec>