Should we recommend oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary artery stenting with a high HAS-BLED bleeding risk score?

BACKGROUND: Recent European guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation recommend oral anticoagulation (OAC) in patients with CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes, history of previous stroke, vascular disease, age 65-74 years, and sex category [female]) ≥1. The HAS-BLED score (Hypertension, Abnormal renal/liver function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile international normalized ratio, Elderly [>65 years], Drugs/alcohol concomitantly) has been suggested to assess bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (score ≥3 indicates high risk of bleeding). Despite the guidelines, this approach has never been tested in a cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation. METHODS AND
RESULTS: We studied 590 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention/stenting and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASC score >1 (ie, OAC recommended). We compared patients with low-intermediate bleeding risk (HAS-BLED 0-2) and high risk (HAS-BLED ≥3), the relation between CHA(2)DS(2)-VASC and HAS-BLED, and the benefit and risks of the use of OAC in patients with high bleeding risk. The development of any bleeding episode, thromboembolism, mortality, cardiac events, and the composite major adverse cardiac events (ie, death, acute myocardial infarction, and/or target lesion revascularization) end point was recorded as well as the composite major adverse events (ie, major adverse cardiac events, major bleeding, or thromboembolism) end point at 1-year follow-up. Of the study cohort, 420 (71%) had a HAS-BLED score ≥3, and patients who were on OAC at discharge had lower mortality rate (9.3% versus 20.1%; P<0.01) and major adverse cardiac events (13.0% versus 26.4%; P<0.01) but with a similar major adverse event (20.5% versus 27.6%; P=0.11) and higher major bleeding rate (11.8% versus 4.0%; P<0.01). In a Cox multivariable analysis in patients with HAS-BLED ≥3, predictors of increased death were chronic renal failure and heart failure (both P<0.05), whereas OAC at discharge was associated with a reduced death rate (P<0.01). Predictors of major bleeding were chronic renal failure and the use of drug-eluting stents (both P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention/stenting have a high risk for major bleeding (HAS-BLED score ≥3). Even in these patients, OAC improves prognosis in these patients (reduced mortality and major adverse cardiac events) with an increase in major bleeding.