Atrial fibrillation management in older hospitalized patients: Evidence of a poor oral anticoagulants prescriptive attitude from the Italian REPOSI registry

Atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence increases in older patients which also show a high thromboembolic risk. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are recommended to prevent cardioembolic events and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) improved anti-thrombotic treatment. However, the benefits/risks of anticoagulant in older patients still need to be completely defined. This retrospective observational study aimed to describe the treatment with OACs in older AF hospitalized patients, and to identify factors influencing OAC therapy or discontinuation using the REgistro Politerapie SIMI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to identify predictors of OACs treatment and discontinuation. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate one-year mortality by treatment groups. AF patients were 1,128(26.5 %) at discharge and 1,098(97.3 %) required OAC treatment; about half of them (N = 528;48.1 %) were no-OACs users; 236(21.5 %) and 334(30.4 %) used DOACs and VKA, respectively. Increasing DOACs use was observed during the study period. Predictors of OACs treatment were: BMI (OR:1.04; 95 %CI:1.01–1.07), Barthel index (OR:1.01; 95 %CI:1.01–1.02), medications number (OR:1.07; 95 %CI:1.01–1.13). Conversely, a lower probability was found in patients with a high CIR.S (OR:0.59; 95 %CI:0.36–0.97) and neoplasm (OR:0.57; 95 %CI:0.37–0.88). Hospital stay (OR:1.02; 95 %CI:1.01–1.05), neoplasm (OR:2.25; 95 %CI:1.07–4.70) and INR (OR:1.21; 95 %CI:1.05–1.40) increased OACs discontinuation. A lower discontinuation was observed in dyslipidemic patients (OR:0.18; 95 %CI:0.04–0.82) and heart failure (OR:0.38; 95 %CI:0.21–0.70). Among AF patients, 157(14.3 %) died during the follow-up year. Age (HR = 1.05; 95 %CI = 1.03–1.08) and CIR.S (HR = 2.54; 95 %CI = 1.53–4.21) were associated with a greater mortality risk. In conclusion, critical issues related to the underuse and discontinuation of OACs therapy in hospitalized older patients were highlighted.