TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Study Population for Those Initiating NOACs
| Characteristics | Rivaroxaban n = 3,455 | Dabigatran n = 1,264 | Apixaban n = 504 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | %/SD | n | %/SD | n | %/SD | |
| Age,a mean, SD | 68.1 | 12.4 | 66.5 | 12.3 | 70.3 | 12.2 |
| <65 years | 1,428 | 41.3 | 567 | 44.9 | 168 | 33.3 |
| 65 -74 years | 847 | 24.5 | 333 | 26.3 | 139 | 27.6 |
| ≥75 years | 1,180 | 34.2 | 364 | 28.8 | 197 | 39.1 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 2,051 | 59.4 | 793 | 62.7 | 291 | 57.7 |
| Male | 1,404 | 40.6 | 471 | 37.3 | 213 | 42.3 |
| Regiona | ||||||
| Northeast | 712 | 20.6 | 394 | 31.2 | 89 | 17.7 |
| North Central | 977 | 28.3 | 363 | 28.7 | 152 | 30.2 |
| South | 1,224 | 35.4 | 342 | 27.1 | 182 | 36.1 |
| West | 502 | 14.5 | 155 | 12.3 | 76 | 15.1 |
| Unknown | 40 | 1.2 | 10 | 0.8 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Metro statistical area | ||||||
| Rural | 529 | 15.3 | 221 | 17.5 | 79 | 15.7 |
| Urban | 2,926 | 84.7 | 1,043 | 82.5 | 425 | 84.3 |
| Comoribidities | ||||||
| Hypertension | 1,789 | 51.8 | 668 | 52.8 | 249 | 49.4 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 1,313 | 38.0 | 499 | 39.5 | 196 | 38.9 |
| Heart failure | 197 | 5.7 | 64 | 5.1 | 31 | 6.2 |
| Diabetes | 803 | 23.2 | 317 | 25.1 | 111 | 22.0 |
| Stroke | 209 | 6.0 | 87 | 6.9 | 38 | 7.5 |
| Bleeding | 198 | 5.7 | 59 | 4.7 | 26 | 5.2 |
| Anemia | 231 | 6.7 | 82 | 6.5 | 36 | 7.1 |
| Liver disease | 83 | 2.4 | 28 | 2.2 | 11 | 2.2 |
| Renal disease | 136 | 3.9 | 51 | 4.0 | 19 | 3.8 |
| Vascular disease | 699 | 20.2 | 234 | 18.5 | 105 | 20.8 |
| Dementia | 12 | 0.3 | 7 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 455 | 13.2 | 150 | 11.9 | 49 | 9.7 |
| Rheumatic disease | 81 | 2.3 | 31 | 2.5 | 11 | 2.2 |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 16 | 0.5 | 5 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.4 |
| Diabetes with complications | 198 | 5.7 | 71 | 5.6 | 30 | 6.0 |
| Cancer | 463 | 13.4 | 151 | 11.9 | 67 | 13.3 |
| Metastatic cancer | 35 | 1.0 | 4 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.4 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, 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 = 1) | 416 | 12.0 | 178 | 14.1 | 45 | 8.9 |
| Medium (score = 1) | 695 | 20.1 | 255 | 20.2 | 89 | 17.7 |
| High (score = 2-3) | 707 | 20.5 | 259 | 20.5 | 117 | 23.2 |
| Very high (score ≥ 4) | 889 | 25.7 | 311 | 24.6 | 136 | 27.0 |
| HAS-BLED bleed risk score, mean, SD | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Low (score = 0) | 581 | 16.8 | 230 | 18.2 | 68 | 13.5 |
| Medium (score = 1-2) | 2,389 | 69.1 | 846 | 66.9 | 374 | 74.2 |
| High (score ≥ 3) | 485 | 14.0 | 188 | 14.9 | 62 | 12.3 |
| Enrollment period | ||||||
| 6 months continuous | 2,694 | 78.0 | 1,046 | 82.8 | 325 | 64.5 |
| 9 months continuous | 1,524 | 44.1 | 662 | 52.4 | 111 | 22.0 |
a P < 0.05.
NOAC = non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulation; SD = standard deviation.