Long-term prognostic significance of history of cancer and atrial fibrillation in coronary artery disease.

Background: Limited data exist on the prognostic significance of a history of cancer and atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to evaluate the associations among a history of cancer, AF, and long-term prognosis in patients with CAD.

Methods: We studied 3,233 patients with CAD (69 ± 11 years; women, 23%) in a multicenter hospital-based cohort study, the CHART-2 and related a history of cancer and AF to cardiovascular outcomes with a median follow-up of 10.8 years.

Results: Of the 3,233 patients enrolled, 10.7% and 11.2% had a history of cancer and AF, respectively, while 2.8% had both. Patients with AF and a history of cancer were characterized by older age, male sex, and higher BNP levels. Anticoagulant use with warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants increased from 43% at baseline to 56% at 10 years in patients with CAD with AF and no history of cancer and increased from 49% to 83% in those with both. Patients with CAD with both comorbidities had a higher risk of a composite outcome including stroke, thrombosis, and major bleeding (Hazard Ratio [HR], 2.26; 1.50-3.40, P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with both comorbidities had a higher risk of all-cause death (1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.12, P = 0.007) including cancer death (2.62; 1.51-4.54, P = 0.001), and new-onset heart failure (HF) requiring hospitalization (2.47; 1.54-3.96, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CAD patients with a history of cancer and AF have an increased risk of composite outcomes, including stroke, systemic thrombosis, major bleeding, all-cause death, cancer-related death, and new-onset HF.