Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background.
Anemia is frequently observed as a comorbidity in atrial fibrillation (AF) and is associated with poor clinical outcomes.
Purpose.
We aim to investigate the impact of anemia on clinical outcomes in AF Patients on oral anticoagulants.
Methods.
We comprehensively searched PubMed, WOS, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CENTRAL through March 2024 and conducted a prognostic systematic review and meta-analysis. All analyses were performed using R V. 4.3.1.
Results.
With the inclusion of 23 studies, our cohort comprised a total of 286,781 patients. Anemia was significantly associated with an 86% increase in the risk of major bleeding (HR: 1.86 with 95% CI [1.61, 2.14], P< 0.01), a 25% increase in the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (HR: 1.25 with 95% CI [1.02, 1.54], P= 0.03), a 92% increase in the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (HR: 1.92 with 95% CI [1.68, 2.19], P< 0.01), and a 91% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.91 with 95% CI [1.46, 2.51], P< 0.01). However, Anemia did not significantly affect the risk of stroke, TIA, or systemic embolism (HR: 1.07 with 95% CI [0.93, 1.22], P= 0.36).
Conclusion.
Anemia was significantly associated with an increased risk of major bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, and all-cause mortality without impacting stroke, TIA, or systemic embolism. Further research is warranted to compare the effects of DOACs and vitamin K antagonists. Clinically, it is imperative to closely monitor the anemic status of patients due to these elevated risks.