# One‐Year Outcome of Japanese Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From APHRS‐AF Registry

## TL;DR

This study analyzed 1-year outcomes of 794 Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation and found low mortality and stroke rates, likely due to high use of anticoagulants.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the clinical outcomes and treatment patterns of Japanese AF patients from a large, prospective registry.

## Key findings

- One-year all-cause mortality and stroke/thromboembolic events were both 0.1%.
- Major bleeding events occurred in 0.7% of patients, including 3 intracranial hemorrhages.
- Most patients (57.8%) were planned for catheter ablation, and 81% used oral anticoagulants.

## Abstract

The Asia‐Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Atrial Fibrillation (APHRS‐AF) Registry is a prospective study in Asian metropolitan cities, which provides important information on the baseline characteristics, therapeutic patterns, and 1‐year clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This report describes data from Japanese patients recruited in this registry.

A total of 4666 patients with AF were enrolled. Of these, 794 patients were recruited from 28 large cardiovascular centers in Japan between 2015 and 2017. We analyzed 1‐year follow‐up outcome of these patients. Mean age at recruitment was 65.7 years and 69.0% were males. Major comorbidities were hypertension (37.5%), lipid disorder (29.0%), heart failure (15.9%), and diabetes mellitus (15.0%). Mean CHADS2 score, CHA2DS2‐VASc score, and HAS‐BLED score were 1.0, 2.0, and 1.1, respectively. At baseline, use of oral anticoagulants was 81%, including 7% prescribed a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) and 74% a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). Majority of the patients (N = 459, 57.8%) were planned to undergo catheter ablation. One‐year follow‐up was conducted in 743 patients. One‐year all‐cause mortality was 0.1% (n = 1) and the incidence of stroke/thromboembolic events was also 0.1% (n = 1). Major bleeding events were observed in 5 patients (0.7%), including 3 intracranial hemorrhages.

In this 1‐year analysis, a high prevalence of oral anticoagulant use was recorded. A low mortality rate and a low incidence of stroke/thromboembolic events were observed in Japanese patients of the APHRS‐AF Registry.

A total of 794 patients recruited from 28 large cardiovascular centers in Japan were prospectively investigated. Patients were relatively young, had low CHADS2 scores, and relatively few comorbidities such as hypertension. Majority of the patients were scheduled for catheter ablation. Short‐term prognosis was found to be extremely favorable.