Supporting data for "Atrial Fibrillation-Related Stroke:Long-term Prognosis and Novel Risk Factors"

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Approximately 62% of strokes are ischemic, and atrial fibrillation (AF) )-related ischemic strokes account for about 20% of all ischemic strokes. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been demonstrated to be safe and effective for primary and secondary prevention in patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF).

This thesis sought to investigate the different efficacy and safety profiles of individual DOACs, the safety and efficacy of DOACs among the oldest old patients (aged ≥ 85), the impact of longitudinal renal function variability on patients with NVAF and recent ischemic stroke, and whether long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with the risk of AF-related ischemic stroke and its impact on stroke severity, post-stroke disability, and short-term clinical outcomes.

Patients with AF following a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack(TIA) were retrospectively recruited and followed up from CDARS. Baseline clinical characteristics, medical histories, antithrombotic treatment after TIA/ischemic stroke, blood tests were collected. Multiple clinical outcomes were examined including recurrent ischemic stroke/systemic embolic events, intracerebral hemorrhage, total bleeding, major adverse cardiovascular events, and death. In addition, patients with acute stroke were recruited from four public hospitals in Hong Kong including Queen Mary Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Yan Chai Hospital, and Ruttonjee Hospital from 2019 to 2021. Apart from the baseline clinical characteristics and medical histories, individual exposure to ambient traffic-related pollutants (PM_2.5, BC, and NO₂) was collected during the 20 years before the acute event. The subtypes of ischemic stroke were determined using the TOAST classification system.

This database involved in this PhD project consist of the aforementioned clinical personal data, medical history, laboratory findings, exposure to air pollutants, and clinical outcomes of the studied participants (IRB reference number: UW21-463/UW18-361).