Background characteristics and anticoagulant usage patterns of elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients in the ANAFIE registry: a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study in Japan

Objective To explore anticoagulant usage patterns stratified by stroke and bleeding risk in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Design Prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study. Setting The real-world All Nippon AF In the Elderly (ANAFIE) registry. Participants Japanese patients aged ≥75 years with NVAF (n=32 726). Outcome measures The distribution of stroke and bleeding risk scores, and the selection of anticoagulant regimen for patients at high stroke and bleeding risk. Results Overall, 18 185 (55.6%) patients had a high risk of stroke (CHADS2 score ≥3). Of these, 12 561 (38.4% of the total ANAFIE population) had a low bleeding risk (HAS-BLED ≤2) and 5624 (17.2%) had a high bleeding risk (HAS-BLED ≥3). Significant differences were noted between the high versus low bleeding risk groups in sex, height, weight, systolic blood pressure and rates of abnormality of lipid metabolism, gastrointestinal disease, cerebrovascular disorders, chronic kidney disease, angina pectoris, respiratory disease, primary malignant tumour, dementia and fall history within the past year (all p Conclusions In elderly NVAF patients at high stroke risk, significant demographic and clinical differences were observed according to bleeding risk. Administration of low-dose DOACs was frequent, but the dose distribution was unaffected by bleeding risk. Trial registration number UMIN000024006 (http://www.umin.ac.jp/).