Real-World Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Cardiovascular Outcomes and Healthcare Resource Utilization in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Michael Fradley, MD, presented real-world findings on the impact of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), using US Symphony Health claims data. Among 233,362 newly diagnosed patients with CLL/SLL, 13.1% developed AFib within 1 year of diagnosis. Patients with AFib experienced significantly higher rates of subsequent stroke, bleeding, and heart failure vs those without AFib, as well as greater outpatient, inpatient, and other medical or hospital service utilization. An elderly subgroup analysis showed similar cardiovascular and health care resource utilization trends. In an exploratory analysis of 22,636 patients initiating first-line Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, AFib rates were lower with zanubrutinib vs acalabrutinib or ibrutinib, and patients treated with zanubrutinib had lower rates of cardiovascular events and inpatient service use. These findings highlight the clinical and economic burden of AFib in CLL/SLL, while supporting consideration of cardiac risk when selecting first-line CLL/SLL therapy options.