Impact of Renal Function on Stroke and Bleeding Risk in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Findings from an observational study suggest that risks for both thromboembolic and bleeding outcomes rise with increasing levels of renal dysfunction.

Balancing the benefit of stroke prevention and the risk for bleeding with anticoagulation is uniquely challenging in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and renal dysfunction. To explore the relationship between renal function and AF outcomes, investigators conducted a registry-based cohort study involving 17,349 adults (median age, 73; 53% women) with nonvalvular AF discharged from Danish hospitals between 1997 and 2011. Participants were divided into glomerular filtration rate (GFR) quintiles of ≥90, 60–89, 30–59, 15–29, and <15 mL/min per 1.73 m².

Median follow-up ranged from 0.5 years (in the lowest GFR quintile) to 4.9 years (in the second-highest GFR quintile). Cumulative incidence of both stroke/thromboembolism and major bleeding i…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Impact of Renal Function on Stroke and Bleeding Risk in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

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Reviewing Author