Restarting of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation after major bleeding: A meta-analysis

Abstract

What is known and objective: Benefits and risks of restarting oral anticoagulants (OACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation after major bleeding remain unknown. A meta-analysis was performed to systematically evaluate the effects of restarting OACs on thromboembolism and bleeding events in these patients. Methods: Relevant studies were obtained via systematically search of PubMed, Cochrane's Library and Embase databases. A randomized-effect model was used to pool the results. Subgroup analyses according to the types of OACs and sites of reoccurred bleeding were performed. Results and discussion: Seven retrospective cohort studies with 12 197 patients were included. Restarting OACs was associated with reduced risk of thromboembolism (risk ratio [RR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.87; P =.007). Subgroup analyses showed that restarting warfarin reduced risk of thromboembolism (RR = 0.59, P =.05), but not for the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs; RR = 1.37, P =.18). Moreover, restarting OACs did not affect the risk of reoccurred bleeding (RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.74-1.30, P =.89). Similar results were found for warfarin and NOACs, as well as for reoccurred intracranial haemorrhage or gastrointestinal bleeding. In addition, restarting OACs was associated with significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.33-0.52, P