Evaluation of the atrial fibrillation better care pathway in the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial

The Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway is endorsed by guidelines to improve care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, whether the benefit of ABC pathway-concordant care is consistent across anticoagulants remains unclear. We assessed the association between ABC-concordant care and outcomes in this post hoc analysis from the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial, which was reported prior to the initial description of the ABC pathway.

Patients were retrospectively classified as receiving ABC-concordant care based on optimal anticoagulation, adequate rate control, management of co-morbidities and lifestyle measures. Associations between ABC-concordance and outcomes were assessed with adjustment for components of the CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores. Of 20 926 patients, 7915 (37.8%) satisfied criteria of ABC-concordant care, which was associated with significantly lower incidence of stroke or systemic embolic event [stroke/SEE: hazard ratio (HR_adj): 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47–0.63], major bleeding (HR_adj 0.66; 95% CI: 0.58–0.75), major adverse cardiac events (HR_adj 0.53; 95% CI: 0.48–0.58), primary net clinical outcome (composite of stroke/SEE, major bleeding or death; HR_adj 0.61; 95% CI: 0.56–0.65), cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization (HR_adj 0.78; 95% CI: 0.74–0.83), CV death (HR_adj 0.52; 95% CI: 0.46–0.58), and all-cause mortality (HR_adj 0.56; 95% CI: 0.51–0.62), P < 0.001 for each. These associations were qualitatively consistent for both edoxaban and warfarin and across patient subgroups.

Atrial fibrillation Better Care pathway-concordant care is associated with reductions across multiple CV endpoints and all-cause mortality, with benefit in edoxaban- and warfarin-treated patients and across patient subgroups. Increasing implementation of ABC-concordant care may improve clinical outcomes of patients with AF irrespective of anticoagulant.