OBJECTIVE

We assessed the hypothesis that mental health conditions (MHCs) are associated with higher risk of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS

The registry-based FinACAF study covers all patients with AF diagnosed during 2007-2018 in Finland. MHCs of interest were depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and any MHC. The outcomes were first-ever gastrointestinal, intracranial, and any bleeding event.

RESULTS

We identified 205,019 patients (50.9% female; mean age 72.3 [standard deviation 13.4] years) with incident AF without prior bleeding, and the prevalence of any MHC was 6.1%. Any MHC, depression, and anxiety disorder were associated with the risk of any bleeding (adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) 1.19 [1.12-1.27], 1.21 [1.13-1.30], and 1.21 [1.08-1.35], respectively). Additionally, any MHC and depression were associated with the risk of gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding and anxiety disorder with gastrointestinal bleeding. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were not associated with risk of bleeding. Use of oral anticoagulants was associated with the risk of any bleeding (adjusted HR 1.24 [95% CI 1.21-1.28)]), and this association was similar in patients with and without MHCs. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors were not associated with bleeding risk.

CONCLUSIONS

MHCs are associated with a higher risk of bleeding in patients with AF.