Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Real-world anticoagulant use and clinical outcomes in postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting: a nationwide practice-based cohort from The Netherlands Heart Registration
Authors' conclusion
Among POAF patients after CABG, crude mortality was lower in OAC users, but no survival benefit was observed from 30 days onward. Low long-term OAC continuation without excess thromboembolic mortality suggests the potential value of time-limited anticoagulation strategies.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (2013–2022) from the Netherlands Heart Registration, without prior atrial fibrillation or preoperative oral anticoagulation (OAC)POAF patients successfully linked, of 11,054 (24.8%) with POAF among 44,601 CABG patients
- Participants
- 10,750 adults
- Exposure
- Comparing OAC with antiplatelets
- Outcome
- OAC initiation
Methodological detailsnationwide, practice-based cohort, linked to mortality and pharmacological data from Statistics Netherlands
- Nationwide
- Practice-based cohort
- Linked to mortality and pharmacological data from Statistics Netherlands
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
OAC therapy initiated
43.6%
2013
38.7%
2022
53.7%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Crude thromboembolic mortality · crude
| Outcome | OAC | Antiplatelets |
|---|---|---|
| Bleeding-related mortality | 0.00 | 0.08 |
30-day mortality, cerebrovascular events and bleeding reintervention · Within 30 days
- Mortality
- 1.6%
- Cerebrovascular events
- 1.3%
- Bleeding reintervention
- 5.4%
OAC continuation · 10 years
- Continued for 10 years
- 10.3%
- Most discontinued OAC after 1 year
Survival from 30 days postoperatively
- No significant differences between groups
Baseline characteristics
- Mean age
- 68.9 years
- Male
- 81.7%
Original publication
Real-world anticoagulant use and clinical outcomes in postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting: a nationwide practice-based cohort from The Netherlands Heart Registration. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. Published 18 October 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →