Interaction of atrial fibrillation and antithrombotics on outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage

Association of Prior Antithrombotic Drug Use with 90-Day Mortality After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Purpose

To estimate the strength of association between use of antithrombotics (AT) drugs with survival after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (s-ICH) comparing oral anticoagulant (OAC) or platelet antiaggregants (PA) with no AT use and in active comparator analyses OAC vs PA, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) vs vitamin K antagonist (VKA), and clopidogrel vs aspirin.

Patients and Methods

We identified patients ≥55 years with a first-ever s-ICH between 2015 and 2018 in Southern Denmark (population 1.2 million). From this population, patients who had used an AT at the time of ICH were identified and classified as OAC or PA vs no AT (reference group), and for active comparator analyses as OAC vs PA (reference group), DOAC vs VKA (reference group), or clopidogrel vs aspirin (reference group). We calculated adjusted relative risks (aRRs) and corresponding [95% confidence intervals] for 90-day all-cause mortality with adjustments for potential confounders.

Results

Among 1043 patients who had s-ICH, 206 had used an OAC, 270 a PA, and 428 had no AT use. The adjusted 90-day mortality was higher in OAC- (aRR 1.68 [1.39-2.02]) and PA-users (aRR 1.21 [1.03-1.42]), compared with no AT. Mortality was higher in OAC- (aRR 1.19 [1.05-1.36]) vs PA-users. In analyses by antithrombotic drug type, 88 used a DOAC, 136 a VKA, 111 clopidogrel, and 177 aspirin. Mortality was lower among DOAC- vs VKA-users (aRR 0.82 [0.68-0.99]), but similar between clopidogrel vs aspirin users (aRR 1.04 [0.87-1.24]).

Conclusion

In this unselected cohort from a geographically defined Danish population, 90-day mortality after s-ICH was higher in patients with prior use of an OAC compared with no AT use or patients using a PA. Mortality was slightly lower for patients using a DOAC than a VKA. Mortality was also higher in PA- vs no AT-users, but there were no differences in mortality between clopidogrel vs aspirin.

Predictors of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage mortality: a community-based study in Brno, Czech Republic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious medical condition with high mortality. However, factors leading to long-term mortality after ICH are largely unclear. The aim of this community-based study is to assess predictors of long-term mortality after spontaneous ICH.

METHODS

We identified all patients admitted with spontaneous ICH to hospitals with a certified stroke unit in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic (CR), in 2011, the year of the Czech Population and Housing Census. We reviewed their medical records for risk factors, radiographic parameters, and measures of post-stroke neurological deficit [National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)]. Using the dates of death from the Czech National Mortality Register, we calculated mortality at 30 days, six months, one year, and three years after the ICH. Multivariate analysis with forward stepwise logistic regression was performed to determine independent predictors of mortality (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

In 2011, 1086 patients with stroke were admitted to the four stroke-certified hospitals in Brno, CR. Of these, 134 had spontaneous ICH, with complete data available in 93 of them entering the final analysis. The mortality at 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years post-ICH was 34%, 47%, 51%, and 63%, respectively. The mortality was highest in the first few days post-event, with 50% of patients dying in 255 days and average survival being 884 ± 90 days. Both NIHSS and modified ICH (MICH) score showed to be strong and reliable predictors of short- as well as long-term mortality; the risk of death post-ICH increased with older age and size of ICH. Other risk factors contributing to higher, primarily shorter-term mortality included history of cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, or atrial fibrillation.

CONCLUSIONS

In our community-based study, we found that severity of neurological deficit at admission (NIHSS), combined with age and size of ICH, well predicted short- as well as long-term mortality after spontaneous ICH. A history of cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, or atrial fibrillation at presentation were also predictors of mortality, underscoring the need for optimal cardiac management in patients with ICH.

Trends in prior antithrombotic medication and risk of in-hospital mortality after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: the J-ICH registry

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) remains a devastating form of stroke. Prior use of antiplatelets or warfarin before SICH is associated with poor outcomes, but the effects of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify trends in prior antithrombotic use and to assess the associations between prior use of antithrombotics and in-hospital mortality using a multicenter prospective registry in Japan. In total, 1085 patients were analyzed. Prior antithrombotic medication included antiplatelets in 14.2%, oral anticoagulants in 8.1%, and both in 1.8%. Prior warfarin use was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 5.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-23.26, P < 0.05) compared to no prior antithrombotic use. No such association was evident between prior DOAC use and no prior antithrombotic use (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.44-4.05, P = 0.606). Concomitant use of antiplatelets and warfarin further increased the in-hospital mortality rate (37.5%) compared to warfarin alone (17.2%), but no such association was found for antiplatelets plus DOACs (8.3%) compared to DOACs alone (11.9%). Prior use of warfarin remains an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality after SICH in the era of DOACs. Further strategies are warranted to reduce SICH among patients receiving oral anticoagulants and to prevent serious outcomes.

Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With Nontraumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective

To assess the effect of atrial fibrillation (AF) on outcomes in hospitalizations for non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Patients and Methods

We queried the National Inpatient Sample database between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2019, to identify hospitalizations with an index diagnosis of non-traumatic ICH using ICD-10 code I61. The cohort was divided into patients with and without AF. Propensity score matching was used to balance the covariates between AF and non-AF groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association. All statistical analyses were performed using weighted values.

Results

Our cohort included 292,725 hospitalizations with a primary discharge diagnosis of non-traumatic ICH. From this group, 59,005 (20%) recorded a concurrent diagnosis of AF, and 46% of these patients with AF were taking anticoagulants. Patients with AF reported a higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (19.8±6.0 vs 16.6±6.4; P<.001) before propensity matching. After propensity matching, the multivariate analysis reported that AF (aOR, 2.34; 95% CI, 2.26-2.42; P<.001) and anticoagulation drug use (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.28-1.37; P<.001) were independently associated with all-cause in-hospital mortality. Moreover, AF was significantly associated with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.52-1.62; P<.001) and acute heart failure (odds ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.19-1.33; P<.001) compared with the absence of AF.

Conclusion

These data suggest that non-traumatic ICH hospitalizations with coexistent AF are associated with worse in-hospital outcomes such as higher mortality and acute heart failure.

Effect of antiplatelet therapy on the incidence, prognosis, and rebleeding of intracerebral hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

Antiplatelet medications are increasingly being used for primary and secondary prevention of ischemic attacks owing to the increasing prevalence of ischemic stroke occurrences. Currently, many patients receive antiplatelet therapy (APT) to prevent thromboembolic events. However, long-term use of APT might also lead to an increased occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and affect the prognosis of patients with ICH. Furthermore, some research suggest that restarting APT for patients who have previously experienced ICH may result in rebleeding events. The precise relationship between APT and ICH remains unknown.

METHODS

We searched PubMed for the most recent related literature and summarized the findings from various studies. The search terms included "antiplatelet," "intracerebral hemorrhage," "cerebral microbleeds," "hematoma expansion," "recurrent," and "reinitiate." Clinical studies involving human subjects were ultimately included and interpreted in this review, and animal studies were not discussed.

RESULTS

When individuals are administered APT, the risk of thrombotic events should be weighted against the risk of bleeding. In general, for some patients' concomitant with risk factors of thrombotic events, the advantages of antiplatelet medication may outweigh the inherent risk of rebleeding. However, the use of antiplatelet medications for other patients with a higher risk of bleeding should be carefully evaluated and closely monitored. In the future, a quantifiable system for assessing thrombotic risk and bleeding risk will be necessary. After evaluation, the appropriate time to restart APT for ICH patients should be determined to prevent underlying ischemic stroke events. According to the present study results and expert experience, most patients now restart APT at around 1 week following the onset of ICH. Nevertheless, the precise time to restart APT should be chosen on a case-by-case basis as per the patient's risk of embolic events and recurrent bleeding. More compelling evidence-based medicine evidence is needed in the future.

CONCLUSION

This review thoroughly discusses the relationship between APT and the development of ICH, the impact of APT on the course and prognosis of ICH patients, and the factors influencing the decision to restart APT after ICH. However, different studies' conclusions are inconsistent due to the differences in quality control. To support future clinical decisions, more large-scale randomized controlled trials are required.

Intracerebral haemorrhage volume, haematoma expansion and 3-month outcomes in patients on antiplatelets. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims

We assessed the association of prior antiplatelet therapy (APT) at onset of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) with haematoma characteristics and outcome.

Methods

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing ICH outcomes of patients on APT (APT-ICH) with patients not taking APT (non-APT-ICH). Primary outcomes were haematoma volume (mean difference and 95% CI), haematoma expansion (HE), in-hospital 3-month mortality rates and good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2). We provide odds ratios (ORs) from random effects models and subgroup analyses for haematoma expansion and short-term mortality rates.

Results

We included 23 of 1551 studies on 30,949 patients with APT-ICH and 62,018 with non-APT-ICH. Patients on APT were older (Δmean 6.27 years, 95% CI 5.44-7.10), had larger haematoma volume (Δmean 5.74 mL, 95% CI 1.93-9.54), higher short-term mortality rates (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.14-1.82), 3-month mortality rates (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.14-2.19) and lower probability of good functional outcome (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.49-0.77). While there was no difference in HE in the overall analysis (OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.85-2.06), HE occurred more frequently when assessed within 24 h (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.18-5.67). We found insufficient data for comparison of single versus dual APT-ICH. Heterogeneity was substantial amongst studies.

Discussion

APT is associated with larger baseline haematoma volume, early (<24 h) haematoma expansion, mortality rates and morbidity in patients with ICH. Data on differences in single and dual APT-ICH are scarce and warrant further investigation. New treatment options for APT-ICH are urgently needed.

Prestroke physical activity and outcomes after intracerebral haemorrhage in comparison to ischaemic stroke: protocol for a matched cohort study (part of PAPSIGOT)

INTRODUCTION

Piling evidence suggests that a higher level of prestroke physical activity can decrease stroke severity, and reduce the risk of poststroke mortality. However, prior studies have only included ischaemic stroke cases, or a majority of such. We aim to investigate how premorbid physical activity influences admission stroke severity and poststroke mortality in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, compared with ischaemic stroke. A prespecified analysis plan counteract some inherent biases in observational studies, and promotes transparency.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a statistical analysis protocol for a matched cohort study, including all adult patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, and matched ischaemic stroke controls, treated at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden between 1 November 2014 and 30 June 2019. All patients have been identified in the Väststroke register, and the data file has been sent for merging with national registries. The follow-up of time for survival will be approximately 2-7 years. The sample size calculation indicates that a minimum of 628 patients with intracerebral haemorrhage is needed for power of 80% at an alpha level of 0.01. Multiple imputation by chained equations will be used to handle missing data. The entire cohort of patients with intracerebral haemorrhage will be matched with consecutive ischaemic stroke controls (1:3 ratio) using nearest neighbour propensity score matching. The association between prestroke physical activity and admission stroke severity will be evaluated using multivariable ordinal regression models, and risk for all-cause mortality will be analysed using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models. Potential confounders include age, ethnicity, income, educational level, comorbidity, medical treatments, alcohol-related disorders, drug abuse and smoking.

ETHICS

Data collection for the Physical Activity Pre-Stroke In GOThenburg project was approved by the Regional Ethical Board on 4 May 2016. An additional application was approved by the National Ethical Review Authority on 7 July 2021.

Atrial Fibrillation in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Dijon Stroke Registry (2006-2017)

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents a major indication for oral anticoagulants (OAC) that contribute to spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study evaluated AF prevalence among patients with ICH, temporal trends, and early functional outcomes and death of patients.

Methods and Results

Patients with first‐ever ICH were prospectively recorded in the population‐based stroke registry of Dijon, France, (2006–2017). Association between AF and early outcome of patients with ICH (ordinal modified Rankin Scale score and death at discharge) were analyzed using ordinal and logistic regressions. Among 444 patients with ICH, 97 (21.9%) had AF, including 65 (14.6%) with previously known AF treated with OAC, and 13 (2.9%) with newly diagnosed AF. AF prevalence rose from 17.2% (2006–2011) to 25.8% (2012–2017) (P‐trend=0.05). An increase in the proportion of AF treated with OAC (11.3% to 17.5%, P‐trend=0.09) and newly diagnosed AF (1.5% to 4.2%, P‐trend=0.11) was observed. In multivariable analyses, after adjustment for premorbid OAC, AF was not significantly associated with ordinal modified Rankin Scale score (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% CI, 0.69–2.42) or death (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.40–1.96) in patients with ICH. Nevertheless, adjusted premorbid OAC use remained highly associated with a higher probability of death (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.11–5.78).

Conclusions

AF prevalence and use of OAC among patients with ICH increased over time. Premorbid use of OAC was associated with poor outcome after ICH, thus suggesting a need to better identify ICH risk before initiating or pursuing OAC therapy in patients with AF, and to develop acute treatment and secondary prevention strategies after ICH in patients with AF.

Cerebrovascular Risk Factors in Possible or Probable Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Modifier or Bystander?

Goal: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a frequent cause of atypical intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the elderly. Stroke risk factors such as arterial hypertension (AHT), atrial fibrillation (AFib), diabetes mellitus (DM), and renal dysfunction (RD) are increasingly apparent in these patients. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the presence of these stroke risk factors in different initial CAA presentations comprising cerebral microbleeds (CMB), acute ischemic stroke (AIS), cortical superficial hemosiderosis (cSS), or lobar ICH (LICH) and evaluated their influence on the initial clinical presentation of patients with CAA.

Material and Methods: We identified patients with at least possible CAA defined by the modified Boston criteria admitted to the Department of Neurology or Neurosurgery from 2002 to 2018.

Findings: In the overall cohort of 209 patients, we analyzed the correlation between the number of stroke risk factors and the initial clinical presentation of patients with CAA and could show the high multimorbidity of the collective. There are large differences between the subgroups with different initial clinical presentations, e.g., patients with CMB as initial CAA presentation have the highest number of cerebrovascular risk factors and recurrent AIS, whereas AFib is more frequent in the Neurosurgery Department.

Conclusion: There is a distinct overlap between the subgroups of CAA manifestations and stroke risk factors that need to be verified in larger patient collectives. Since these comorbidities are likely to influence the clinical course of CAA, they represent possible targets for secondary prevention until specific treatment for CAA becomes available.

Outcome of intracranial bleeding managed with prothrombin complex concentrate in patients on direct factor Xa inhibitors or vitamin K antagonists

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is the most feared complication of anticoagulation with a high mortality and morbidity. Before registration of a specific reversal agent for factor Xa inhibitors (FXa-I), international guidelines recommended prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), which also is the specific reversal agent for vitamin K antagonists (VKA). In two contemporary cohorts, we compared clinical outcomes between patients with FXa-I and VKA related ICH treated with PCC between 2014 and 2018. Primary outcome was effective hemostasis after 24 h, according to the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis definition. Safety outcomes were defined as venous and arterial thromboembolic complications and death within 30 days. Thirty-six patients with FXa-I-ICH and 39 patients with VKA-ICH were available for analysis. Baseline characteristics were comparable between both groups, except for time from start of symptoms to presentation at the hospital. In the FXa-I-ICH cohort, 24 (73%) patients achieved effective hemostasis compared to 23 (62%) patients in the VKA-ICH cohort (crude odds ratio [OR] 1.62 [95%CI 0.59-4.48], adjusted OR 1.45 [95%CI 0.44-4.83]). Eight (24%) patients with FXa-I-ICH deceased compared to 17 (45%) patients with VKA-ICH (crude OR 0.38 [95%CI 0.14-1.24], adjusted OR 0.41 [95%CI 0.12-1.24]). In this observational cohort study, the outcome of ICH managed with PCC was similar in patients with FXa-I-ICH and in patients with VKA-ICH.