TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Study Population that Initiated NOACs
| Characteristics | Rivaroxaban n = 9,817 | Dabigatran n = 2,751 | Apixaban n = 2,773 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Age, years | ||||||
| Mean, SD | 70.5 | 11.8 | 67.9 | 12.5 | 73.9 | 10.6 |
| < 65 | 2,850 | 29.0 | 1,049 | 38.1 | 445 | 16.0 |
| 65-74 | 2,929 | 29.8 | 779 | 28.3 | 903 | 32.6 |
| ≥ 75 | 4,038 | 41.1 | 923 | 33.6 | 1,425 | 51.4 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 5,586 | 56.9 | 1,701 | 61.8 | 1,499 | 54.1 |
| Male | 4,231 | 43.1 | 1,050 | 38.2 | 1,274 | 45.9 |
| Region | ||||||
| Northeast | 2,086 | 21.2 | 800 | 29.1 | 596 | 21.5 |
| North Central | 3,062 | 31.2 | 766 | 27.8 | 874 | 31.5 |
| South | 3,296 | 33.6 | 788 | 28.6 | 960 | 34.6 |
| West | 1,253 | 12.8 | 369 | 13.4 | 315 | 11.4 |
| Unknown | 120 | 1.2 | 28 | 1.0 | 28 | 1.0 |
| Metro statistical area | ||||||
| Rural | 1,463 | 14.9 | 505 | 18.4 | 372 | 13.4 |
| Urban | 8,354 | 85.1 | 2,246 | 81.6 | 2,401 | 86.6 |
| Comoribidities | ||||||
| Hypertension | 6,228 | 63.4 | 1,674 | 60.9 | 1,879 | 67.8 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 4,884 | 49.8 | 1,313 | 47.7 | 1,457 | 52.5 |
| Heart failure | 1,027 | 10.5 | 263 | 9.6 | 331 | 11.9 |
| Diabetes | 2,559 | 26.1 | 744 | 27.0 | 754 | 27.2 |
| Stroke | 1,022 | 10.4 | 269 | 9.8 | 336 | 12.1 |
| Bleeding | 834 | 8.5 | 209 | 7.6 | 238 | 8.6 |
| Anemia | 982 | 10.0 | 252 | 9.2 | 307 | 11.1 |
| Liver disease | 311 | 3.2 | 79 | 2.9 | 88 | 3.2 |
| Renal disease | 663 | 6.8 | 184 | 6.7 | 287 | 10.3 |
| Vascular disease | 2,981 | 30.4 | 732 | 26.6 | 949 | 34.2 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 1,876 | 19.1 | 466 | 16.9 | 529 | 19.1 |
| Rheumatic disease | 302 | 3.1 | 73 | 2.7 | 87 | 3.1 |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 79 | 0.8 | 20 | 0.7 | 25 | 0.9 |
| Diabetes with complications | 720 | 7.3 | 202 | 7.3 | 233 | 8.4 |
| Cancer | 1,809 | 18.4 | 401 | 14.6 | 588 | 21.2 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index score | ||||||
| Mean, SD | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk score | ||||||
| Mean, SD | 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| Low (score = 0, 1) | 2,124 | 21.6 | 776 | 28.2 | 376 | 13.6 |
| High (score = 2, 3) | 3,764 | 38.3 | 1,023 | 37.2 | 1,037 | 37.4 |
| Very high (score ≥ 4) | 3,929 | 40.0 | 952 | 34.6 | 1,360 | 49.0 |
| HAS-BLED bleed risk score | ||||||
| Mean, SD | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Low (score = 0) | 1,159 | 11.8 | 416 | 15.1 | 163 | 5.9 |
| Medium (score = 1-2) | 6,187 | 63.0 | 1,684 | 61.2 | 1,790 | 64.6 |
| High (score ≥ 3) | 2,471 | 25.2 | 651 | 23.7 | 820 | 29.6 |
NOAC = non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant; SD = standard deviation.