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Background Previous studies have provided conflicting results as to whether women are at higher risk than men for thromboembolism in the setting of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated whether women with AF were at higher risk of ischemic stroke in the China‐AF (China Atrial Fibrillation Registry) Study. Methods and Results A total of 19 515 patients were prospectively enrolled between August 2011 and December 2016 in the China‐AF Study. After exclusion of patients receiving anticoagulation or ablation therapy, 6239 patients (2574 women) with results from at least 6 months of follow‐up were used for the analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate whether female sex was an independent risk factor for thromboembolism after multivariate adjustment. The primary outcome was the time to the first occurrence of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism. After a mean follow‐up of 2.81±1.46 years, 152 female patients reached the primary outcome, as compared with 172 male patients. Crude incidence rates of thromboembolism between women and men were of borderline statistical significance (2.08 versus 1.68 per 100 patient‐years, P=0.058). After multivariable analysis, female sex was not independently associated with an increased thromboembolism risk (hazard ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 0.86‐1.39). There was no significant difference in thromboembolism risk by sex stratified by age and presence or absence of risk factors (P for interaction all >0.1). Conclusions Although crude incidence rates of thromboembolism were higher in Chinese female patients with AF compared with male patients, female sex did not emerge as an independent risk factor for thromboembolism on multivariate analysis. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/. Unique identifier: ChiCTR‐OCH‐13003729.

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the association between CKD and clinical consequences in AF patients is still under debate. METHODS We included 19,079 nonvalvular AF patients with available estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values in the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry from 2011 to 2018. Patients were classified into no CKD (eGFR = 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2), mild CKD (60 = eGFR < 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2), moderate CKD (30 = eGFR < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), and severe CKD (eGFR < 30 mL/min per 1.73 m2) groups. The risks of thromboembolism, major bleeding, and cardiovascular mortality were estimated with Fine-Gray regression analysis according to CKD status. Cox regression was performed to assess the risk of all-cause mortality associated with CKD. RESULTS Over a mean follow-up of 4.1 ± 1.9 years, there were 985 thromboembolic events, 414 major bleeding events, 956 cardiovascular deaths, and 1,786 all-cause deaths. After multivariate adjustment, CKD was not an independent risk factor of thromboembolic events. As compared to patients with no CKD, those with mild CKD, moderate CKD, and severe CKD had a 45%, 47%, and 133% higher risk of major bleeding, respectively. There was a graded increased risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with CKD status compared with no CKD group: adjusted hazard ratio [HR] was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.07-1.68, P = 0.011) for mild CKD group, 2.17 (95% CI: 1.67-2.81, P < 0.000 1) for moderate CKD group, and 2.95 (95% CI: 1.97-4.41, P < 0.000 1) for severe CKD group, respectively. Risk of all-cause mortality also increased among patients with moderate or severe CKD. CONCLUSIONS CKD status was independently associated with progressively higher risks of major bleeding and mortality, but didn't seem to be an independent predictor of thromboembolism in AF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite its therapeutic efficacy, warfarin is extremely underused in Chinese patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether the nonpersistence of warfarin treatment contributes to its underuse is not known. The aims of this study were to determine nonpersistence rates of newly started warfarin treatment in Chinese patients with nonvalvular AF and to identify the factors associated with discontinuation of the treatment.Methods and Results: We identified 1461 patients with nonvalvular AF enrolled in the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR) who newly started on warfarin therapy in the period between August 1, 2011, and June 30, 2014. During a follow-up of 426±232 days, 22.1% of patients discontinued warfarin within 3 months, 44.4% within 1 year, and 57.6% within 2 years of initiation of therapy. Patients with no or partial insurance coverage had a higher likelihood to discontinue warfarin than those with full insurance coverage (adjusted hazard ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval [1.03-2.64]; P=0.038 and 1.66 [1.13-2.42]; P=0.009, respectively). Paroxysmal AF (1.56 [1.28-1.92]; P<0.0001), no prior stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism (1.60 [1.24-2.05]; P=0.0003), and no dyslipidemia (1.34 [1.06-1.70]; P=0.016) were also found to be independent predictors for nonpersistence of warfarin therapy.Conclusions: Nonpersistence of warfarin treatment becomes a serious problem for stroke prevention in Chinese patients with nonvalvular AF. Our findings can be used to identify patients who require closer attention or to develop better management strategy for oral anticoagulation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Transient ST-T elevation (STE) is a rare complication that occurs during transseptal catheterization. This study aims to delineate the incidence and characteristics of transient STE during transseptal catheterization for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Method and results: Consecutive patientswhounderwent fluoroscopy-guided transseptal catheterization for circumferential pulmonary vein radiofrequency ablation in BeijingAnZhen Hospital fromJanuary 2006 to January 2013were enrolled in this study. Out of 2965 patients with a total of 3452 transseptal catheterization procedures, 13 patients (0.38%, mean age 57±8, 6 female, 12 paroxysmal AF, mean left atrial diameter 35.4±3.8 mm)had STE. ST-T elevation occurred after transseptal puncture in 10 patients and after pulmonary vein venography in three patients. Systolic blood pressure (129±10 vs. 104±20 mmHg, P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (78±6 vs. 64±11 mmHg, P < 0.001), and heart rate (83±19 bpm vs. 64±23 b.p.m., P = 0.022) significantly decreased when STE occurred. Eleven patients complained of chest pain, one patient complained of dizziness, and one patient had no symptoms. Patients recovered in about 4.6 min (2-10 min) with dopamine or fast saline drip. Catheter ablation of AF was completed in all the 13 patients without sequelae or other complications. Four of the 13 patients (30.8%) had recurrence of AF after a mean followup of 21.7 months. Conclusion: ST-T elevation is a rare complication associated with transseptal catheterization without sequelae. Catheter ablation of AF could be safely completed in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]