Key Data:
- Two-year outcomes data from GARFIELD-AF show that death is the most frequent adverse outcome for patients with AF
- The highest rates of stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding and death occurred during the first 4 months of follow-up and gradually diminished over time
- Anticoagulation therapy was associated with a 35% lower risk of death
- Strokes were not the most frequent cause of mortality, accounting for less than 10% of all known causes of death
- Mortality rate due to cardiovascular (CV) causes including fatal bleeds was 1.55 per 100 person-years. CV deaths were most frequently caused by CHF, sudden or unwitnessed death, ACS and ischaemic stroke
- Strokes accounted for fewer than 10% of all known causes of death
- Mortality rate due to non-CV causes was lower, at 1.37 per 100 person-years. Non-CV deaths were most frequently caused by malignancy, respiratory failure and infection/sepsis
- Strokes were predominantly ischaemic and primary haemorrhagic strokes were very uncommon
- Bleeding events most frequently occurred in the gastrointestinal tract (1.5% of the total registry population)