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Silent Cerebral İnfarction in Anticoagulated Patients with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation as Detected with Neuron Specific Enolase
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Research Article
VOLUME: 71 ISSUE: 2
P: 130-134
August 2018

Silent Cerebral İnfarction in Anticoagulated Patients with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation as Detected with Neuron Specific Enolase

J Ankara Univ Fac Med 2018;71(2):130-134
DOI: 10.4274/atfm.16362
Hüseyin Göksülük
Sadi Güleç
1. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, İbni Sina Hastanesi, Kardiyoloji Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 09.08.2018
Accepted Date: 24.08.2018
Publish Date: 10.10.2018
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ABSTRACT

Objectives:

Cerebral infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) may vary from being clinically silent to catastrophic. Elevation of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the absence of any clinically apparent stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), so-called silent cerebral infarction (SCI), may be associated with neurologic deficits, cognitive decline and even increased mortality. We aim to evaluate the prevalence of SCI in patients with non-valvular AF who are taking oral anticoagulants.

Materials and Methods:

Blood samples were collected from 100 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF admitted to outpatient clinic. NSE levels of greater than 12 ng/mL was considered as SCI.

Results:

Patients were mainly female with a mean age of 70 years. Fourty-nine of them (49%) were taking warfarin. Mean international normalized rate level was 2.3±1.1. Fifty-one patients (51%) were on direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) treatment [dabigatran (n=7), rivaroxaban (n=13) and apixaban (n=31)]. Mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of the study population was 3.8±1.5. Fourty-three patients (43%) were found to have NSE elevation. They were older and more likely to have history of chronic heart failure and previous stroke/TIA. Increased left atrial diameter, reduced glomeruler filtration rate, and higher CHA2DS2-VASc score were other factors associated with SCI. Patients taking DOACs and patients who were taking aspirin on top of oral anticoagulant treatment were less likely to have SCI. Multivariate analysis demonstrated higher CHA2DS2-VASc score [odds ratio (OR): 2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-5.1; p=0.007] and use of warfarin (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.2-11.9; p=0.02) as independent predictors of SCI.

Conclusion:

Silent brain injury is highly prevalent among patients with non-valvular AF despite the use of oral anticoagulant therapy.

Keywords: Atrial Fibrillation, Silent Cerebral Infarction, Neuron Specific Enolase, Oral Anticoagulation

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