BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To assess thromboembolic and bleeding risks in patients with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) according to HF type. METHODS: We analyzed 6170 AF patients from the Prevention of thromboembolic events - European Registry in Atrial Fibrillation (PREFER in AF), and categorized patients into: HF with reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF; LVEF < 40%); mid-range EF (HFmrEF; LVEF: 40-49%); lower preserved EF (HFLpEF; LVEF: 50-60%), higher preserved EF (HFHpEF; LVEF > 60%), and no HF. Outcomes were ischemic stroke, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) and major bleeding occurring within 1-year. RESULTS: The annual incidence of stroke was linearly and inversely related to LVEF, increasing by 0.054% per each 1% of LVEF decrease (95% CI: 0.013%-0.096%; p = 0.031). Patients with HFHpEF had the highest CHA2DS2-VASc score, but significantly lower stroke incidence than other HF groups (0.65%, compared to HFLpEF 1.30%; HFmrEF 1.71%; HFrEF 1.75%; trend p = 0.014). The incidence of MACCE was also lower in HFHpEF (2.0%) compared to other HF groups (range: 3.8-4.4%; p = 0.001). Age, HF type, and NYHA class were independent predictors of thromboembolic events. Conversely, major bleeding did not significantly differ between groups (p = 0.168). CONCLUSION: Our study in predominantly anticoagulated patients with AF shows that, reduction in LVEF is associated with higher thromboembolic, but not higher bleeding risk. HFHpEF is a distinct and puzzling group, featuring the highest CHA2DS2-VASc score but the lowest residual risk of thromboembolic events, which warrants further investigation.

• MeSH
• Anticoagulants adverse effects   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Stroke diagnosis   epidemiology   MeSH
• Atrial Fibrillation diagnosis   drug therapy   epidemiology   MeSH
• Cohort Studies MeSH
• Hemorrhage chemically induced   diagnosis   epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Follow-Up Studies MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Registries MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Heart Failure diagnosis   drug therapy   epidemiology   MeSH
• Stroke Volume drug effects   physiology   MeSH
• Thromboembolism diagnosis   drug therapy   epidemiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH