• Carlos Loucera, Rosario Carmona, Gerrit Bostelmann, Dolores Muñoyerro-Muñiz, Román Villegas, Rafael Gonzalez-Manzanares, Joaquin Dopazo, and Manuel Anguita.
• Computational Medicine Platform, Andalusian Public Foundation Progress and Health-FPS, Sevilla, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, Spain.
• Med Clin (Barc). 2024 Mar 8; 162 (5): 220227220-227.

BackgroundThe introduction of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has shown to decrease atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke and bleeding rates in clinical studies, but there is no certain evidence about their effects at the population level. Our aim was to assess changes in AF-related stroke and major bleeding rates between 2012 and 2019 in Andalusia (Spain), and the association between DOACs use and events rates at the population level.MethodsAll patients with an AF diagnosis from 2012 to 2019 were identified using the Andalusian Health Population Base, that provides clinical information on all Andalusian people. Annual ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, major bleeding rates, and used antithrombotic treatments were determined. Marginal hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for each treatment.ResultsA total of 95,085 patients with an AF diagnosis were identified. Mean age was 76.1±10.2 years (49.7% women). An increase in the use of DOACs was observed throughout the study period in both males and females (p<0.001). The annual rate of ischemic stroke decreased by one third, while that of hemorrhagic stroke and major bleeding decreased 2-3-fold from 2012 to 2019. Marginal HR was lower than 0.50 for DOACs compared to VKA for all ischemic or hemorrhagic events.ConclusionsIn this contemporary population-based study using clinical and administrative databases in Andalusia, a significant reduction in the incidence of AF-related ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and major bleeding was observed between 2012 and 2019. The increased use of DOACs seems to be associated with this reduction.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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