Clinical characteristics and management of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with direct oral anticoagulants according to blood pressure control

Abstract

Objective To determine the clinical characteristics and management of hypertensive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) according to blood pressure (BP) control. Methods For this purpose, data from two observational, cross-sectional and multicenter studies were combined. In both studies, patients on chronic treatment with anticoagulants and that were on current treatment with DOACs at least for 3 months were included. Adequate BP was defined as a systolic BP < 140 mmHg and a diastolic BP < 90 mmHg (<140/85 mmHg if diabetes). Results Overall, 1036 patients were included. Of these, 881 (85%) had hypertension that were finally analyzed. The presence of other risk factors and cardiovascular disease was common. Mean BP was 132.6 ± 14.3/75.2 ± 9.2 mmHg and 70.5% of patients achieved BP goals. Those patients with a poor BP control had more frequently diabetes, and a history of prior labile INR. Patients had a high thromboembolic risk, but without significant differences according to BP control. By contrast, more patients with a poor BP control had a higher bleeding risk (HAS-BLED ≥3: 24.0% vs 35.4%; P < 0.001). HAS-BLED score was an independent predictor of poor BP control (odds ratio 1.435; 95% confidence interval 1.216–1.693; P < 0.001). Satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment was independent of BP control. Conclusions More than two thirds of our patients with hypertension and AF anticoagulated with DOACs achieve BP targets, what is clearly superior to that reported in the general hypertensive population.