Atrial Fibrillation Found to be Common in Patients With Atherothrombosis, Increases Risk of Cardiovascular Death, Heart Attack ...( TOKYO November 7 /- - Large In...),Health

TOKYO, November 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Large, International REACH Registry Also Shows Many Patients With Atrial Fibrillation are Undertreated With Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapies

A significant portion of patients with atherothrombosis also have atrial fibrillation (AF), greatly increasing their risk for cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, according to new findings from the large, international REACH registry published today in the American Heart Journal.(1) The findings also showed that standard treatments including anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies are underused in AF patients.

The new findings from the REACH (REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health) registry showed that AF was present in approximately 12% of patients who had atherothrombotic disease, which includes coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The findings also showed that, among patients with or at risk for atherothrombotic disease, the risk for death and non-fatal cardiovascular outcomes was greater for AF vs. non-AF patients, including more than twice as high for CV death (3.2% vs 1.4%; p<0.0001), 87% higher for death from all causes (4.3% vs. 2.3%, p<0.0001), 50% higher for non-fatal stroke (2.4% vs 1.6%, p<0.0001), and nearly 50% higher for the combined endpoint of CV death/heart attack/stroke and/or hospitalization for atherothrombotic events (17.9% vs 12.1%, p<0.0001). Despite these higher risks in AF patients, only a little more than half received anticoagulant therapy, only 60 percent received antiplatelet therapy, and less than one in five received both.

"We've known that AF is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke, but its prevalence and impact in the broader population of patients with atherothrombosis was previously unclear," said, lead author Shinya Goto, MD, PhD, FACC, Department of Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. "Our findings
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