This application addresses NIH RFA-OD-09-004: NHLBI Participation in Research and Research Infrastructure """"""""Grand Opportunities"""""""" (RC2) and specifically responds to the NHLBI RC2 topic of Comparative Effectiveness among adults with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common clinically significant arrhythmia in adults and one of the most potent risk factors for ischemic stroke and other systemic thromboembolism. It affects 2.5-5 million Americans currently and its prevalence will increase markedly with the aging of the population nationally. Numerous randomized controlled trials in selected populations have compared stroke prevention strategies (e.g., vitamin K antagonists, antiplatelet agents, other) and pharmacologic arrhythmia control, and numerous earlier phase studies have assessed emerging non-pharmacologic interventions (e.g., catheter ablation and surgical ablation). However, controversy remains about how the results apply to the more diverse and sicker population of atrial fibrillation patients treated in typical clinical practice. Furthermore, existing randomized trials have not been able to examine the variety of different combined treatment approaches or provide realistic estimates of potential risks and benefits in representative populations in the contemporary treatment era and relevant patient subgroups. In addition, we lack robust risk stratification schemes that have been validated among large, diverse populations and that address the significant variability in the risks of stroke and treatment-related outcomes among individual patients. Finally, we have limited data about whether health disparities exist within clinical populations of atrial fibrillation, both with regard to treatment strategies and the influence of selected patient characteristics on atrial fibrillation-related outcomes. To address these major knowledge gaps highlighted in NIH RFA-OD-09-004, we will leverage our expertise from the Anticoagulation and Risk Factors In Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) Study, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN), a multicenter, health plan-based research consortium, as well as data from sentinel randomized clinical trials in atrial fibrillation to create an unparalleled multidisciplinary team and resources. The proposed project will establish a unique collaboration among population-based researchers, trialists, and methodologists as well as a unique research platform through a carefully characterized contemporary cohort of ~40,000 adults with atrial fibrillation to improve comparative effectiveness studies, risk stratification of outcomes, and the planning and conduct of future observational studies and randomized trials for atrial fibrillation. We propose to accomplish the following three Specific Aims:
Aim 1 : Develop and test novel risk stratification schemes for thromboembolism (ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism) in patients with atrial fibrillation from a large-scale community-based cohort and additionally validate the resulting risk models against rich datasets from randomized clinical trials in atrial fibrillation.
Aim 2 : Establish and characterize a contemporary registry of incident atrial fibrillation within very large, diverse community-based populations to provide critical insights into current outcome event rates and practice patterns, potential health disparities, and to facilitate more rapid enrollment into future effectiveness studies and clinical trials as well as development of improved risk stratification models.
Aim 3 : Identify and validate optimal design and analytic approaches to reduce confounding and bias for comparative effectiveness analyses (e.g., different antithrombotic strategies) in observational studies of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Public Health Relevance

Atrial fibrillation is the most common clinically significant arrhythmia in adults and one of the most potent risk factors for ischemic stroke and other systemic throm-boembolism. It currently affects millions of Americans and its prevalence is expected to increase substantially during the next several decades. While multiple strategies have been developed to reduce the risks of atrial fibrillation-related adverse events, existing risk stratification schemes are of limited clinical utility in guiding treatment decisions. Furthermore, few data exist about the comparative effectiveness of different therapies in clinical practice. The proposed study will provide a critical set of research resources to improve risk prediction, facilitate more valid comparative effectiveness analyses, and streamline the planning and conduct of future randomized clinical trials in atrial fibrillation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure Programs (RC2)
Project #
5RC2HL101589-02
Application #
7941917
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-U (O2))
Program Officer
Wells, Barbara L
Project Start
2009-09-30
Project End
2012-07-31
Budget Start
2010-08-01
Budget End
2012-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$2,342,937
Indirect Cost
Name
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
150829349
City
Oakland
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94612
Freeman, James V; Tabada, Grace H; Reynolds, Kristi et al. (2018) Contemporary Procedural Complications, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Visits After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation. Am J Cardiol 121:602-608
Ashburner, Jeffrey M; Go, Alan S; Chang, Yuchiao et al. (2017) Influence of Competing Risks on Estimating the Expected Benefit of Warfarin in Individuals with Atrial Fibrillation Not Currently Taking Anticoagulants: The Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 65:35-41
McGrath, Emer R; Go, Alan S; Chang, Yuchiao et al. (2017) Use of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation After Acute Ischemic Stroke. J Am Geriatr Soc 65:241-248
Quinn, Gene R; Singer, Daniel E; Chang, Yuchiao et al. (2016) How Well Do Stroke Risk Scores Predict Hemorrhage in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation? Am J Cardiol 118:697-9
Ashburner, Jeffrey M; Go, Alan S; Chang, Yuchiao et al. (2016) Effect of Diabetes and Glycemic Control onĀ Ischemic Stroke Risk in AF Patients: ATRIA Study. J Am Coll Cardiol 67:239-47
Freeman, James V; Hutton, David W; Barnes, Geoffrey D et al. (2016) Cost-Effectiveness of Percutaneous Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation Based on Results From PROTECT AF Versus PREVAIL. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 9:
Dallalzadeh, Liane O; Go, Alan S; Chang, Yuchiao et al. (2016) Stability of High-Quality Warfarin Anticoagulation in a Community-Based Atrial Fibrillation Cohort: The Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) Study. J Am Heart Assoc 5:
Ashburner, Jeffrey M; Go, Alan S; Reynolds, Kristi et al. (2015) Comparison of frequency and outcome of major gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation on versus not receiving warfarin therapy (from the ATRIA and ATRIA-CVRN cohorts). Am J Cardiol 115:40-6
Freeman, James V; Reynolds, Kristi; Fang, Margaret et al. (2015) Digoxin and risk of death in adults with atrial fibrillation: the ATRIA-CVRN study. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 8:49-58
Bansal, Nisha; Fan, Dongjie; Hsu, Chi-Yuan et al. (2014) Incident atrial fibrillation and risk of death in adults with chronic kidney disease. J Am Heart Assoc 3:e001303

Showing the most recent 10 out of 20 publications