Table 1.
Baseline characteristics for users of NOACs, VKAs, aspirin or mixed users at the index date
| Characteristic |
NOAC‐users
(n = 1306) |
VKA‐users (n = 13 643) |
Aspirin‐users
(n = 16 094) |
Mixed users (n = 454) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow up, years (SD) | 0.95 (0.63) | 2.71 (1.86) | 2.84 (1.87) | 2.94 (1.97) |
| Number of women | 589 (45.1%) | 6283 (46.1%) | 8008 (49.8%) | 163 (35.9%) |
| Age | ||||
| Mean (years, SD) | 72.6 (12.6) | 72.1 (11.9) | 73.6 (12.7) | 72.2 (10.6) |
| 18–49 | 59 (4.5%) | 673 (4.9%) | 665 (4.1%) | 14 (3.1%) |
| 50–59 | 159 (12.2%) | 1288 (9.4%) | 1454 (9.0%) | 39 (8.6%) |
| 60–69 | 258 (19.8%) | 3017 (22.1%) | 3662 (22.8%) | 119 (26.2%) |
| 70–79 | 419 (32.1%) | 4663 (34.2%) | 4408 (27.4%) | 163 (35.9%) |
| 80+ | 411 (31.5%) | 4002 (29.3%) | 5905 (36.7%) | 119 (26.2%) |
| CHA2DS2‐VASc | ||||
| Mean | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| 0–1 | 25.0% | 24.6% | 27.2% | 22.7% |
| 2 | 20.7% | 21.0% | 21.1% | 23.4% |
| 3–10 | 54.3% | 54.5% | 51.8% | 54.0% |
| BMI (kg/m 2 ) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 27.9 (6.2) | 28.7 (6.3) | 27.8 (6.2) | 28.9 (6.6) |
| < 20 | 82 (6.3%) | 543 (4.0%) | 963 (6.0%) | 21 (4.6%) |
| 20–25 | 334 (25.6%) | 3165 (23.2%) | 4134 (25.7%) | 96 (21.2%) |
| 25–30 | 420 (32.2%) | 4629 (33.9%) | 5318 (33.0%) | 155 (34.1%) |
| 30–35 | 248 (19.0%) | 2672 (19.6%) | 2754 (17.1%) | 91 (20.0%) |
| >35 | 142 (10.9%) | 1800 (13.2%) | 1659 (10.3%) | 60 (13.2%) |
| Missing | 80 (6.1%) | 834 (6.1%) | 1266 (7.9%) | 31 (6.8%) |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Never | 566 (43.3%) | 5659 (41.5%) | 7074 (44.0%) | 173 (38.1%) |
| Current | 105 (8.0%) | 1230 (9.0%) | 1548 (9.6%) | 54 (11.9%) |
| Ex | 628 (48.1%) | 6691 (49.0%) | 7391 (45.9%) | 225 (49.6%) |
| Missing | 7 (0.5%) | 63 (0.5%) | 81 (0.5%) | <5 |
| Alcohol status | ||||
| Yes | 905 (69.3%) | 9513 (69.7%) | 11 002 (68.4%) | 313 (68.9%) |
| No | 288 (22.1) | 3158 (23.2%) | 3794 (23.6%) | 100 (22.0%) |
| Missing | 113 (8.7) | 972 (7.1%) | 1298 (8.1%) | 41 (9.0%) |
| History of comorbidities | ||||
| Acute renal failure | 7 (0.5%) | 65 (0.5%) | 120 (0.8%) | <5 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 247 (18.9%) | 1822 (13.4%) | 988 (6.1%) | 73 (16.1%) |
| Chronic renal failure | 7 (0.5%) | 157 (1.2%) | 158 (1.0%) | <5 |
| Congestive heart failure | 98 (7.5%) | 1396 (10.2%) | 961 (6.0%) | 68 (15.0%) |
| Gastritis | 82 (6.3%) | 849 (6.2%) | 933 (5.8%) | 18 (4.0%) |
| GI bleeding | 42 (3.2%) | 374 (4.7%) | 410 (2.6%) | 7 (1.5%) |
| Hypertension | 713 (54.6%) | 7323 (53.7%) | 8048 (50.0%) | 233 (51.3%) |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 111 (8.5%) | 1461 (10.7%) | 1499 (9.3%) | 115 (25.3%) |
| Liver disease | <5 | 15 (0.1%) | 35 (0.2%) | <5 |
| Oesophagitis | 126 (9.6%) | 1179 (8.6%) | 1298 (8.1%) | 34 (7.5%) |
| Cancer | 15 (1.2%) | 125 (0.9%) | 122 (0.8%) | <5 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 72 (5.5%) | 712 (5.2%) | 661 (4.1%) | 26 (5.7%) |
| History of medication use (6 months before index date) | ||||
| Antiarrhythmic drugs | 81 (6.2%) | 907 (6.7%) | 679 (4.2%) | 13 (2.9%) |
| Anticoagulant drugs | 17 (1.3%) | 209 (1.5%) | 65 (0.4%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Antidiabetic drugs (including insulin) | 102 (7.8%) | 1058 (7.8%) | 911 (5.7%) | 38 (8.4%) |
| Antihypertensive drugs | 342 (26.2%) | 3849 (28.2%) | 3574 (22.2%) | 104 (22.9%) |
| Antiplatelet drugs | 9 (0.7%) | 207 (1.5%) | 95 (0.6%) | <5 |
| NSAIDs | 143 (11.0%) | 1597 (11.7%) | 2107 (13.1%) | 60 (13.2%) |
| SSRIs | 91 (7.0%) | 800 (5.9%) | 1073 (6.7%) | 17 (3.7%) |
| Statins | 394 (30.2%) | 4083 (29.9%) | 3385 (21.0%) | 113 (24.9%) |
| Glucocorticoids | 127 (9.7%) | 1342 (9.8%) | 1278 (7.9%) | 32 (7.1%) |
| History of medication use (3 months before index date) | ||||
| H2 receptor‐antagonists | 32 (2.5%) | 324 (2.4%) | 306 (1.9%) | 13 (2.9%) |
| PPIs | 360 (27.6%) | 3334 (24.4%) | 3542 (22.0%) | 84 (18.5%) |
NOAC, nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant; VKA, vitamin K antagonist; SD, standard deviation; BMI, body mass index; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs; SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; H2, histamine 2; PPIs, proton pump inhibitors, GI, gastrointestinal.