Oral anticoagulation improves the prognosis of octogenarian patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting

Background: a significant proportion of octogenarian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting. Dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended in these patients, requiring a period of triple therapy with dual antiplatelet agent plus oral anticoagulation (OAC). Concerns remain regarding the appropriateness of OAC in octogenarians. Methods: we reviewed 604 patients (15.7% ≥80 years) with AF undergoing PCI. Clinical follow-up was performed, recording any bleeding episode, thrombo-embolism and major adverse cardiac events (MACE = death, acute myocardial infarction and/or revascularisation of target lesion). We compared octogenarian patients in relation to treatment with OAC at discharge. A secondary aim was to compare octogenarian patients with non-octogenarian patients in terms of their clinical and demographic characteristics, management and clinical outcome. Results: among the 604 patients, 95(15.7%) were aged ≥80 years. Octogenarians had a higher median CHADS2 score (2.78 versus 2.01; P< 0.001) and HAS-BLED score (3.05 versus 2.84; P= 0.028). After a follow-up of 17 ± 14 months, allcause death occurred in 33%, MACE in 44%, and major bleeding in 21%. OAC was associated with less MACE (28.9 versus 58.3%; P= 0.012) and a similar rate of major bleeding. On multivariable analysis, non-use of OAC at discharge was associated with increased MACE (OR = 4.3; 95% CI = 1.3–14.6; P= 0.02). Conclusion: octogenarian AF patients undergoing PCI/stenting have a high mortality rate and MACE, which can be reduced by means of OAC therapy.