, Mehmet Ali Astarcıoğlu 2
, Fahriye Vatansever Ağca 3
, Ahmet Seyda Yılmaz 4
, Gülşah Aktüre 5
, Ahmet Oğuz Aslan 6
, Flora Özkalaycı 7
, Bedri Caner Kaya 8
, Ümit Güray 9
, Utku Uluköksal 1
, Barış Şimşek 1
, Hüseyin Emre Kuloğlu 10
, Rabia Çoldur 11
, Furkan Karahan 12
, İbrahim Halil Tanboğa 13
2Department of Cardiology, Kütahya Health and Science University Evliya Celebi Training and Research Hospital, Kütahya, Türkiye
3Department of Cardiology, Bursa High Specialization Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Türkiye
4Department of Cardiology, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Türkiye
5Department of Cardiology, Düzce University Training and Research Hospital, Düzce, Türkiye
6Department of Cardiology, Ahi Evren Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Türkiye
7Department of Cardiology, Hisar Hospital Intercontinental, İstanbul, Türkiye
8Department of Cardiology, Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye
9Department of Cardiology, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
10Department of Cardiology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Türkiye
11Department of Cardiology, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Türkiye
12Department of Cardiology, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Türkiye
13Department of Biostatistics, Nişantaşı University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Türkiye
Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major public health issue associated with thromboembolism and mortality. Real-world data from Türkiye are limited despite expanding use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). The Turkish Real Life Atrial Fibrillation in Clinical Practice (TRAFFIC) study aimed to characterize the demographic features, risk profiles, treatment patterns, and 2-year clinical outcomes of patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF) in Türkiye.
Methods: TRAFFIC was a national, prospective, multicenter, observational registry enrolling 1659 NVAF patients from 36 centers with 6-monthly follow-up for 24 months. Baseline data included demographics, comorbidities, CHA₂DS₂-VASc, HAS-BLED, AF subtype, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) score, and antithrombotic therapy. Outcomes were ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (SE), major bleeding, and all-cause mortality. Predictors of mortality were evaluated using adjusted Cox regression, and associations of risk scores were explored using univariate Cox models with restricted cubic splines.
Results: Median age was 70 years, 48% female, with intermediate CHA₂DS₂-VASc (most 2-5) and low-to-intermediate HAS-BLED scores (most 0-2). Permanent AF was the most common subtype (48%). Antithrombotic therapy largely reflected risk profiles, with NOACs being the dominant treatment (65%). Over 2 years, all-cause mortality was 8.9%, ischemic stroke/SE 2.4%, and major bleeding 1.3%. In adjusted analysis, age, congestive heart failure, and diabetes mellitus were independent predictors of mortality. Both CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores showed threshold effects for mortality and thromboembolic risk but not for bleeding.
Conclusion: TRAFFIC provides contemporary Turkish NVAF data, showing lower event rates than historical cohorts. Outcomes are comparable with international registries; persistent mortality burden highlights the need for AF care beyond anticoagulation.