Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by baseline anticoagulation*
| Baseline characteristics | OAC treatment | P value † | |
| No (n=12 126) | Yes (n=28 290) | ||
| Sex, n (col %) | |||
| Male | 6490 (53.5) | 15 081 (53.3) | 0.694 |
| Female | 5636 (46.5) | 13 209 (46.7) | |
| Age, median (Q1; Q3), years | 73.0 (66.0; 80.0) | 74.0 (67.0; 80.0) | <0.001 |
| Ethnicity, n (col %) | |||
| White | 6635 (56.3) | 19 096 (69.2) | <0.001 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 874 (7.4) | 1863 (6.7) | |
| Asian | 4045 (34.3) | 6122 (22.2) | |
| Black/mixed/other | 234 (2.0) | 529 (1.9) | |
| BMI, median (Q1; Q3), kg/m² | 26.4 (23.5; 30.1) | 27.2 (24.2; 31.1) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, median (Q1; Q3), mm Hg | 132.0 (120.0; 145.0) | 134.0 (120.0; 147.0) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, median (Q1; Q3), mm Hg | 80.0 (70.0; 87.0) | 80.0 (70.0; 89.0) | <0.001 |
| Pulse, median (Q1; Q3), bpm | 82.0 (70.0; 102.0) | 85.0 (71.0; 105.0) | <0.001 |
| Type of atrial fibrillation, n (col %) | |||
| Permanent | 1371 (11.3) | 4312 (15.2) | <0.001 |
| Persistent | 1315 (10.8) | 4757 (16.8) | |
| Paroxysmal | 3402 (28.1) | 7137 (25.2) | |
| Unclassified | 6038 (49.8) | 12 084 (42.7) | |
| Care setting specialty at diagnosis, n (col %) | |||
| Internal medicine/neurology/geriatrics | 2614 (21.6) | 5872 (20.8) | <0.001 |
| Cardiology | 7528 (62.1) | 18 460 (65.3) | |
| Primary care/general practice | 1984 (16.4) | 3958 (14.0) | |
| Care setting location at diagnosis, n (col %) | |||
| Hospital | 7631 (62.9) | 15 593 (55.1) | <0.001 |
| Office/anticoagulation clinic/thrombosis centre | 3204 (26.4) | 9601 (33.9) | |
| Emergency room | 1291 (10.6) | 3096 (10.9) | |
| Medical history, n (col %) | |||
| Heart failure | 3430 (28.3) | 7379 (26.1) | <0.001 |
| Acute coronary syndrome | 1955 (16.2) | 3324 (11.8) | <0.001 |
| Vascular disease | 4523 (37.3) | 7698 (27.2) | <0.001 |
| Carotid occlusive disease | 389 (3.2) | 1028 (3.7) | 0.032 |
| VTE | 225 (1.9) | 901 (3.2) | <0.001 |
| Prior to stroke/TIA/SE | 1518 (12.5) | 4179 (14.8) | <0.001 |
| History of bleeding | 578 (4.8) | 553 (2.0) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 9854 (81.3) | 23 670 (83.7) | <0.001 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 4779 (40.8) | 12 788 (46.4) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 3136 (25.9) | 7775 (27.5) | <0.001 |
| Cirrhosis | 93 (0.8) | 125 (0.4) | <0.001 |
| Moderate to severe CKD | 1393 (12.0) | 3546 (12.9) | 0.008 |
| Dementia | 289 (2.4) | 440 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Heavy alcohol user, n (col %) | 226 (2.2) | 425 (1.8) | 0.009 |
| Current smoker, n (col %) | 1045 (9.5) | 2214 (8.6) | 0.006 |
| Anticoagulant at baseline, n (col %) | |||
| NOAC±AP | – | 11 351 (40.1) | – |
| VKA±AP | – | 16 939 (59.9) | |
| Antiplatelet treatment, n (col %) | 8227 (67.8) | 6580 (23.3) | <0.001 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc Score, median (Q1; Q3) | 4.0 (3.0; 5.0) | 4.0 (3.0; 5.0) | 0.405 |
| HAS-BLED Score‡, median (Q1; Q3) | 2.0 (1.0; 2.0) | 1.0 (1.0; 2.0) | <0.001 |
| GARFIELD-AF Death Score §, median (Q1; Q3) | 4.6 (2.7; 8.2) | 4.8 (2.9; 8.1) | <0.001 |
| GARFIELD-AF Stroke Score ¶, median (Q1; Q3) | 1.4 (1.0; 2.0) | 1.4 (1.0; 1.9) | <0.001 |
| GARFIELD-AF Bleeding Score **, median (Q1; Q3) | 1.8 (1.3; 2.6) | 1.6 (1.2; 2.3) | <0.001 |
*This study analysed initial treatment of AF patients, regardless of the AF type, which might have been confirmed at later visits.
†Calculated using t-test or Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney for continuous variables, as appropriate and χ2 or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, as appropriate.
‡The risk factor ‘Labile INRs’ is not included in the HAS-BLED Score as it is not collected at baseline. As a result, the maximum HAS-BLED Score at baseline is 8 points (not 9).
§Denotes the expected probability of death within 2 years from enrolment. To allow for comparability, the expected probability is computed assuming all patients received NOAC at baseline;.
¶The expected probability of developing a non-haemorrhagic stroke/SE within 2 years from enrolment. To allow for comparability, the expected probability is computed assuming all patients received NOAC at baseline;.
**The expected probability of developing a major bleeding within 2 years from enrolment. To allow for comparability, the expected probability is computed assuming all patients received NOAC at baseline.
AF, atrial fibrillation; AP, antiplatelet treatment; BMI, body mass index; CKD, chronic kidney disease; GARFIELD-AF, Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-AF; NOAC, non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant; OAC, oral anticoagulant; SE, systemic embolism; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; VKA, vitamin K antagonist treatment; VTE, venous thromboembolism.