Differences in the predictors of left atrial appendage thrombus between men and women treated with dabigatran or rivaroxaban

Some patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) develop left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) despite receiving anticoagulant treatment. Different scores were proposed to evaluate thromboembolic risk in patients with AF. Risk stratification according to sex is common in clinical practice.

We aimed to identify predictors of LAAT separately in men and women treated with dabigatran or rivaroxaban.

This retrospective study included 1256 patients (479 women [38.1%]) with AF who underwent transesophageal echocardiography before electrical cardioversion or catheter ablation, between January 2013 and December 2019, and received dabigatran or rivaroxaban for at least 3 weeks.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed nonparoxysmal AF to predict LAAT in women (odds ratio [OR], 9.70; P = 0.002). In men, the predictors were heart failure (OR, 4.14; P = 0.001), diabetes (OR, 2.64; P = 0.002), nonparoxysmal AF (OR, 5.61; P = 0.02), and estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (OR, 2.77; P = 0.01). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the CHA2DS2‑VASc-RAF score had the highest value for predicting LAAT in women (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.786). In men, CHA2DS2‑VASc-RAF, CHA2DS2, CHA2DS2‑VASc, and R2CHADS2 had sufficient predictive value (AUC = 0.786, 0.726, 0.734, and 0.780, respectively).

The predictors of LAAT differ between men and women treated with dabigatran or rivaroxaban. In women, the CHA2DS2‑VASc‑RAF score had the highest predictive value, while in men all the scores had equally sufficient predictive value.