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Warfarin adherence and anticoagulation control in atrial fibrillation patients: a systematic review.European Review For Medical and... Dec 2021This paper aims to review the literature systematically on warfarin adherence in patients with atrial fibrillation and to assess the anticoagulation control focused on...
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to review the literature systematically on warfarin adherence in patients with atrial fibrillation and to assess the anticoagulation control focused on patient clinical outcomes. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac disease defined by abnormal heart rhythm, which significantly impacts a patient's health status, quality of life, and heart output, and thus a greater risk of stroke and hospitalization. Most AF patients should be managed with long-term anticoagulation, either with vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin or new oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Anticoagulants have been a core in treating AF and weighing the consequences of thrombosis with the risk of bleeding. This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of warfarin adherence on AF patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic search of the literature was conducted on electronic databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCO, Cochrane library, Google, and Google Scholar from January 2011 to April 2021 to determine studies that reported warfarin adherence on patients with atrial fibrillation.
RESULTS
Out of 1429 titles and abstracts were retrieved, 12 studies fulfilled and met the inclusion criteria. From the included studies, two were carried out in Brazil and one from the following nations: Libya, Jordan, Iran, KSA, Canada, Malaysia, Bahrain, UAE, Singapore, and the USA. The study designs identified were cross-section, retrospective, and prospective studies. Warfarin adherence was influenced by multiple causes, including pharmaceutical services, the number of medications, and warfarin knowledge regarding anticoagulation control. Warfarin adherence illustrates its positive association with TTR and INR as a measure of anticoagulation control.
CONCLUSIONS
While the available evidence is limited, this systematic review demonstrated a positive finding of the association between warfarin adherence and anticoagulation control in patients with AF.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Blood Coagulation; Humans; Medication Adherence; Treatment Outcome; Warfarin
PubMed: 34982455
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202112_27642 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2022Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis and microvascular impairment, which can affect major organs,... (Review)
Review
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis and microvascular impairment, which can affect major organs, including the heart. Arrhythmias are responsible for approximately 6% of deaths in patients with SSc, and mainly occur due to myocardial fibrosis, which causes electrical inhomogeneity. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of arrhythmias and conduction disturbances in SSc cohorts, and to identify the characteristics and risk factors associated with the occurrence of dysrhythmias in patients with SSc. A systematic literature review using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases was performed. Full-text articles in English with arrhythmias as the main topic published until 21 April 2022 were included. Most prevalent arrhythmias were premature supraventricular and ventricular contractions, while the most frequent conduction disturbance was represented by right bundle branch block (RBBB). Elevated concentrations of N-terminal prohormones of brain natriuretic peptides (NT-pro BNP) were associated with numerous types of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and with the occurrence of RBBB. A lower value of the turbulence slope (TS) emerged as an independent predictor for ventricular arrhythmias. In conclusion, dysrhythmias are frequent in SSc cohorts. Paraclinical and laboratory parameters are useful instruments that could lead to early diagnosis in the course of the disease.
Topics: Humans; Electrocardiography; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Heart; Scleroderma, Systemic; Autoimmune Diseases
PubMed: 36361752
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112963 -
European Journal of Medical Research Feb 2024An essential relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated. Among the methods used to assess IR, the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
An essential relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated. Among the methods used to assess IR, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is the more straightforward, dimensionless, and low-cost tool. However, the possible usage of this index in clinical practice to predict and diagnose AF has yet to be determined and consolidated.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
Herein, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between the TyG index and AF.
METHODS
Databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for studies evaluating the TyG index in AF. The inclusion criteria were observational studies investigating AF and TyG index correlation in individuals older than 18 years, while preclinical studies and those without the relevant data were excluded. Random effect meta-analyses comparing TyG levels between AF and non-AF cases, AF recurrence after radiofrequency ablation, and post-procedural AF were performed using standardized mean differences (SMD) with their matching 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
Our screening identified nine studies to be analyzed, including 6,171 participants including 886 with AF. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the TyG index resulted higher in patients with AF than non-AF counterparts (SMD 1.23, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.75, I 98%, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed the same results for post-procedure AF (SMD 0.99, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.20, I 10%, P < 0.001) and post-ablation AF (SMD 1.25, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.43, I 46%, P < 0.001), while no difference was found in population-based cohorts (SMD 1.45, 95% CI - 0.41 to 3.31, I 100%, P = 0.13). Publication year (P = 0.036) and sample size (P = 0.003) showed significant associations with the effect size, using multivariable meta-regression.
CONCLUSION
The TyG index is an easy-to-measure surrogate marker of IR in patients with AF. Further clinical studies are warranted to demonstrate its ability for routine clinical use and as a screening tool.
Topics: Humans; Atrial Fibrillation; Glucose; Triglycerides; Biomarkers; Catheter Ablation; Insulin Resistance
PubMed: 38347644
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01716-8 -
International Journal of Clinical... 2023Research evidence suggests a link between periodontitis (PD) and atrial fibrillation, but the nature of this link is unclear. This study aimed to systematically review... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Research evidence suggests a link between periodontitis (PD) and atrial fibrillation, but the nature of this link is unclear. This study aimed to systematically review and evaluate the association between PD, other oral diseases, and atrial fibrillation and the role of oral hygiene in preventing atrial fibrillation.
METHODS
We searched the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for the clinical study of oral health and atrial fibrillation from inception to November 2022. Oral health conditions included PD and other oral inflammatory diseases, regular oral hygiene, and tooth brushing. The primary outcomes were the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with oral disease, the effect of regular oral care on preventing atrial fibrillation, the effect of frequent tooth brushing on preventing atrial fibrillation, and the incidence of atrial fibrillation in PD patients.
RESULTS
Eight clinical trials with a total of 4,328,355 patients were included. The result of the research showed that PD and other impaired oral health may be associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation, and its severity was dose-responsive to the risk of atrial fibrillation. The incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients with severe PD was about 16.3%. Moreover, PD may increase the risk of long-term arrhythmia in patients with atrial fibrillation. Regular oral care and frequent tooth brushing can reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation.
CONCLUSION
Regular and moderate oral hygiene, frequent tooth brushing, and prevention of PD and other oral inflammatory diseases could reduce the occurrence of atrial fibrillation. It is recommended to strengthen the popularization of oral health knowledge in the publicity related to atrial fibrillation.
Topics: Humans; Atrial Fibrillation; Oral Hygiene; Incidence
PubMed: 37020707
DOI: 10.1155/2023/1750981 -
JMIR MHealth and UHealth Apr 2021Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Early diagnosis of AF is crucial for preventing AF-related morbidity, mortality, and economic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Early diagnosis of AF is crucial for preventing AF-related morbidity, mortality, and economic burden, yet the detection of the disease remains challenging. The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of AF. Because of technological advances, ambulatory devices may serve as convenient screening tools for AF.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this review was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of 2 relatively new technologies used in ambulatory devices, non-12-lead ECG and photoplethysmography (PPG), in detecting AF. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-12-lead ECG and PPG compared to the reference standard, 12-lead ECG. We also conducted a subgroup analysis to assess the impact of study design and participant recruitment on diagnostic accuracy.
METHODS
This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for articles published from January 1, 2015 to January 23, 2021. A bivariate model was used to pool estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and area under the summary receiver operating curve (SROC) as the main diagnostic measures. Study quality was evaluated using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) tool.
RESULTS
Our search resulted in 16 studies using either non-12-lead ECG or PPG for detecting AF, comprising 3217 participants and 7623 assessments. The pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and diagnostic odds ratio for the detection of AF were 89.7% (95% CI 83.2%-93.9%), 95.7% (95% CI 92.0%-97.7%), 20.64 (95% CI 10.10-42.15), 0.11 (95% CI 0.06-0.19), and 224.75 (95% CI 70.10-720.56), respectively, for the automatic interpretation of non-12-lead ECG measurements and 94.7% (95% CI 93.3%-95.8%), 97.6% (95% CI 94.5%-99.0%), 35.51 (95% CI 18.19-69.31), 0.05 (95% CI 0.04-0.07), and 730.79 (95% CI 309.33-1726.49), respectively, for the automatic interpretation of PPG measurements.
CONCLUSIONS
Both non-12-lead ECG and PPG offered high diagnostic accuracies for AF. Detection employing automatic analysis techniques may serve as a useful preliminary screening tool before administering a gold standard test, which generally requires competent physician analyses. Subgroup analysis indicated variations of sensitivity and specificity between studies that recruited low-risk and high-risk populations, warranting future validity tests in the general population.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020179937; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=179937.
Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Electrocardiography; Humans; Mass Screening; Photoplethysmography; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 33835039
DOI: 10.2196/26167 -
European Journal of Epidemiology Feb 2023Elevated blood pressure and hypertension have been associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation in a number of epidemiological studies, however, the strength of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Elevated blood pressure and hypertension have been associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation in a number of epidemiological studies, however, the strength of the association has differed between studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between blood pressure and hypertension and atrial fibrillation. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies of hypertension and blood pressure and atrial fibrillation up to June 6th 2022. Cohort studies reporting adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of atrial fibrillation associated with hypertension or blood pressure were included. A random effects model was used to estimate summary RRs. Sixty eight cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. The summary RR was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.42-1.58, I = 98.1%, n = 56 studies) for people with hypertension compared to those without hypertension (1,080,611 cases, 30,539,230 participants), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.16-1.21, I = 65.9%, n = 37 studies) per 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (346,471 cases, 14,569,396 participants), and 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03-1.11, I = 91.5%, n = 22 studies) per 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure (332,867 cases, 14,354,980 participants). There was evidence of a nonlinear association between diastolic blood pressure and atrial fibrillation with a steeper increase in risk at lower levels of diastolic blood pressure, but for systolic blood pressure the association appeared to be linear. For both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the risk increased even within the normal range of blood pressure and persons at the high end of systolic and diastolic blood pressure around 180/110 mmHg had a 1.8-2.3 fold higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those with a blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg. These results suggest that elevated blood pressure and hypertension increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and there is some increase in risk even within the normal range of systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Topics: Humans; Blood Pressure; Atrial Fibrillation; Hypertension; Cohort Studies
PubMed: 36626102
DOI: 10.1007/s10654-022-00914-0 -
Computers in Biology and Medicine Jun 2021Automated detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) in continuous rhythm registrations is essential in order to prevent complications and optimize treatment of AF. Many... (Review)
Review
AIMS
Automated detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) in continuous rhythm registrations is essential in order to prevent complications and optimize treatment of AF. Many algorithms have been developed to detect AF in surface electrocardiograms (ECGs) during the past few years. The aim of this systematic review is to gain more insight into these available classification methods by discussing previously used digital biomarkers and algorithms and make recommendations for future research.
METHODS
On the 14 of September 2020, the PubMed database was searched for articles focusing on algorithms for AF detection in ECGs using the MeSH terms Atrial Fibrillation, Electrocardiography and Algorithms. Articles which solely focused on differentiation of types of rhythm disorders or prediction of AF termination were excluded.
RESULTS
The search resulted in 451 articles, of which 130 remained after full-text screening. Not only did the amount of research on methods for AF detection increase over the past years, but a trend towards more complex classification methods is observed. Furthermore, three different types of features can be distinguished: atrial features, ventricular features, and signal features. Although AF is an atrial disease, only 22% of the described methods use atrial features.
CONCLUSION
More and more studies focus on improving accuracy of classification methods for AF in ECGs. As a result, algorithms become increasingly complex and less well interpretable. Only a few studies focus on detecting atrial activity in the ECG. Developing innovative methods focusing on detection of atrial activity might provide accurate classifiers without compromising on transparency.
Topics: Algorithms; Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Databases, Factual; Electrocardiography; Humans
PubMed: 33951551
DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104404 -
European Heart Journal. Quality of Care... Aug 2023Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is now a mainstream procedure although long-term outcomes are uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIMS
Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is now a mainstream procedure although long-term outcomes are uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of procedural outcomes at 5 years and beyond.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We searched PubMed and Embase and after the screening, identified 73 studies (67 159 patients) reporting freedom from atrial arrhythmia, all-cause death, stroke, and major bleeding at ≥5 years after AF ablation. The pooled mean age was 59.7y, 71.5% male, 62.2% paroxysmal AF, and radiofrequency was used in 78.1% of studies. Pooled incidence of freedom from atrial arrhythmia at 5 years was 50.6% (95%CI 45.5-55.7%) after a single ablation and 69.7% [95%CI (confidence interval) 63.8-75.3%) after multiple procedures. The incidence was higher among patients with paroxysmal compared with non-paroxysmal AF after single (59.7% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.002) and multiple (80.8% vs. 60.6%, p < 0.001) ablations but was comparable between radiofrequency and cryoablation. Pooled incidences of other outcomes were 6.0% (95%CI 3.2-9.7%) for death, 2.4% (95%CI 1.4-3.7%) for stroke, and 1.2% (95%CI 0.8-2.0%) for major bleeding at 5 years. Beyond 5 years, freedom from arrhythmia recurrence remained largely stable (52.3% and 64.7% after single and multiple procedures at 10 years), while the risk of stroke and bleeding increased over time.
CONCLUSION
Nearly 70% of patients having multiple ablations remained free from atrial arrhythmia at 5 years, with the incidence slightly decreasing beyond this period. Risk of death, stroke, and major bleeding at 5 years were low but increased over time, emphasizing the importance of long-term thromboembolism prevention and bleeding risk management.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Female; Atrial Fibrillation; Treatment Outcome; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Hemorrhage; Stroke; Catheter Ablation
PubMed: 37336617
DOI: 10.1093/ehjqcco/qcad037 -
Critical Reviews in Oncology/hematology Mar 2021The use of ibrutinib is hampered by major bleeding events and atrial fibrillation. Speculating whether randomized controlled trials might underestimate the risk of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The use of ibrutinib is hampered by major bleeding events and atrial fibrillation. Speculating whether randomized controlled trials might underestimate the risk of adverse events in clinical practice, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis studying patients treated in any setting and indication. We systematically searched the literature using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for case series, cohort studies, or randomized controlled trials and retrieved all data in parallel. Proportions of patients with adverse events were pooled in relevant subgroups using the binominal distribution and Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Among 2'537 records screened, 85 were finally included, comprising 7'317 patients. Methodological quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was rated as moderate to poor with regard to bleeding events and atrial fibrillation; 106 studies were excluded because of missing data at all. Reported events varied substantially between 0 % and 78 % (any bleedings), 0 % and 25 % (major bleedings), and 0 % and 38 % (new-onset atrial fibrillation). Pooled estimates were 28 % (95 % confidence interval 22 %, 34 %), 3 % (2 %, 4 %), and 8 % respectively (7 %, 10 %). The risk of events was higher in studies with an older population, high ibrutinib dosage, thrombocytopenia, antithrombotic treatment, and retrospective studies. In conclusions, reporting of bleeding events and atrial fibrillation varied substantially among studies. These observations, in combination with the estimates obtained, suggest a relevant risk in clinical practice.
Topics: Adenine; Atrial Fibrillation; Humans; Piperidines; Pyrazoles; Pyrimidines; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 33515702
DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103238 -
European Review For Medical and... Nov 2023Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is a common manifestation of cardiac arrhythmia, whose significance is heightened in the context of an aging global population... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is a common manifestation of cardiac arrhythmia, whose significance is heightened in the context of an aging global population and changing lifestyles, leading to an increased incidence. Stroke prevention in NVAF is a complex challenge that requires a comprehensive exploration of interventions. The emergence of Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) is a potential treatment, necessitating a thorough evaluation of their safety and efficacy. As the quest for the best strategy for thrombotic risk in these patients continues, the interaction between DOAC and aspirin has become the focus of research.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
With a rigorous methodological approach, we conducted a thorough search of scientific databases up to August 2023. The methodology involved meticulous screening, careful data extraction, and rigorous assessment of trial quality, all conducted by two independent investigators. The results were synthesized through standardized mean differences, accompanied by 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS
DOACs demonstrated significant enhancements in stroke prevention for NVAF, which was indicated by favorable outcomes in bleeding (RR = 4.04, 95% CI: 3.96, 4.12), coronary artery disease (RR = 2.45, 95% CI: 2.42, 2.48), mortality (RR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.56), myocardial infarction (RR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.81, 1.88), and stroke (RR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.47, 1.54). Notably, DOACs demonstrated optimal efficacy for NVAF patients with stroke.
CONCLUSIONS
DOACs may be potentially effective for preventing stroke after NVAF.
Topics: Humans; Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Aspirin; Warfarin; Stroke; Administration, Oral
PubMed: 38039031
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202311_34469