Non-permanent atrial fibrillation and oral anticoagulant therapy are related to survival during 10 years after first-ever ischemic stroke

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) detection in ischemic stroke patients triggers initiation of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC). However, little is known regarding whether the persistency of AF affects long-term prognosis after ischemic stroke. We aimed to assess the impact of AF types and OAC on the outcome during a 10-year follow-up (FU) after first-ever ischemic stroke. Material and methods The study sample comprised 336 first-ever ischemic stroke patients (median age 76, interquartile range 25–75% (IQR) 67–82 years, 136 female) included in the Lund Stroke Register (LSR) in 2001–2002. At baseline, 109 patients had either permanent (n = 44) or recurrent (n = 65) AF. OAC was assessed using the Lund University Hospital anticoagulation database. All-cause mortality was assessed via linkage with the Swedish Causes of Death Register. Results During FU, 200 patients died. AF independently predicted all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.52 95% CI 1.14–2.04, p = 0.005); the worst prognosis was observed for permanent AF (HR 1.86 95% CI 1.29–2.69, p = 0.001). Patients with recurrent AF receiving OAC had similar survival rates to patients without AF (HR 0.73 95% CI 0.38–1.39, p = 0.333), while prognosis was worst for patients with permanent AF without OAC (HR 2.28 95% CI 1.38–3.77, p = 0.001) and intermediate for patients with permanent AF on OAC (HR 1.57 95% CI 0.92–2.67, p = 0.099). Conclusion All-cause mortality was independently associated with AF and was the greatest in stroke patients with permanent AF. Patients with recurrent AF receiving OAC have the most favorable outcome, similar to those without AF and significantly better than OAC-treated patients with permanent AF.