Antithrombotic therapy in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: effects and bleeding complications: a stratified analysis of the NASPEAF randomized trial

Aims Atrial fibrillation patients with prior embolism have a high risk of vascular events in spite of anticoagulant therapy and elderly patients carry an additional risk. We analysed and compared vascular events-rate between older and younger than 75 years atrial fibrillation patients randomized to anticoagulant-alone or combined antiplatelet plus moderate-level anticoagulant therapy. Methods and results A total of 967 patients stratified by age and the history of prior embolism were randomized to therapeutic doses of anticoagulant-alone or combined antithrombotic therapy. Primary events were fatal and non-fatal ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke/transient ischaemic attack, systemic embolism and myocardial infarction, sudden death and death from bleeding. The elderly, compared with the younger patients, had higher event-rate [hazard ratio 2.31 (95% confidence interval 1.37–3.90), P < 0.003]. The elderly suffered higher severe bleeding event-rate during anticoagulant therapy. The combined, compared with the anticoagulant therapy, reduced the vascular events-rate in the elderly ( P = 0.012) and caused less intracranial haemorrhages and less bleeding mortality, although more non-fatal gastric bleeding. Conclusion The elderly with AF had a higher event-rate than the younger patients. A higher severe bleeding event-rate was also registered in elderly patients receiving anticoagulant therapy. Combined, compared with anticoagulant therapy, significantly reduced vascular events and bleeding mortality in elderly patients.