Real-world Treatment Patterns and Stroke Risks among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation in China.

Aim: To describe patient characteristics, treatment patterns and stroke risks for patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) in China. Patients & methods: Patients with AF were identified from an electronic medical record database in China (n = 22,535). Results: Less than half of patients (n = 9971; 44.2%) received antithrombotic medications following AF diagnosis; of these patients, 93.7% received anticoagulants and 71.3% received antiplatelets. Only 27.6% of patients received oral anticoagulants. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis found that patients treated with antithrombotic medications had a significantly lower risk of stroke compared with patients who were not treated (hazard ratio: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.37-0.43). Conclusion: The results suggest that antithrombotic medications, especially oral anticoagulants, are underused in China. Plain language summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition characterized by a fast or irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots in the heart. This condition is common in China, but patients may not be treated with the appropriate medications to control heart rhythm and prevent the formation of blood clots and subsequent stroke events. This study analyzed medical records from patients with AF in China to determine how many of those diagnosed with AF were receiving appropriate medications. Less than half of patients with AF received the appropriate medications following their diagnosis. Patients who did receive treatment had a significantly lower risk of stroke compared with patients who were not treated. Our results suggest that medications to prevent blood clots and stroke are underused in China and that patients and physicians may benefit from increased educational programs about treatment options for AF.