Table 1.
Patients' baseline characteristics, by drug prescribed
| Apixaban (n = 6200) | Dabigatran (n = 1112) | Rivaroxaban (n = 7265) | P‐value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar year of first prescription (%) | ||||
| 2011 | 0 | 48 (4.3) | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 350 (31.5) | 439 (6.0) | |
| 2013 | 341 (5.5) | 356 (32.0) | 1457 (20.1) | |
| 2014 | 1950 (31.5) | 246 (22.1) | 2497 (34.4) | |
| 2015 | 3909 (63.0) | 112 (10.1) | 2872 (39.5) | |
| Median time of follow‐up [days] (IQR) | 188 (74–353) | 216 (65–625.5) | 243 (94–505) | <0.001 |
| Female (%) | 2885 (46.5) | 410 (36.9) | 3321 (45.7) | <0.001 |
| Mean age first prescription [years] (SD) | 73.7 (11.5) | 71.1 (12.0) | 74.8 (11.0) | <0.001 |
| <65 years (%) | 1224 (19.7) | 299 (26.9) | 1190 (16.4) | |
| 65–74 years (%) | 1696 (27.4) | 342 (30.8) | 2005 (27.6) | |
| 75 years and older (%) | 3280 (52.9) | 471 (42.4) | 4070 (56.0) | |
| Mean Charlson score (SD) | 1.4 (1.7) | 1.1 (1.5) | 1.3 (1.7) | <0.001 |
| Mean CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc score (SD) | 2.9 (1.7) | 2.5 (1.8) | 3.0 (1.7) | <0.001 |
| Comorbidities as included in CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc score (%) b | ||||
| Congestive heart failure | 918 (14.8) | 126 (11.3) | 1009 (13.9) | 0.007 |
| Hypertension | 2244 (36.2) | 384 (34.5) | 2722 (37.5) | 0.092 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 952 (15.4) | 149 (13.4) | 1115 (15.3) | 0.219 |
| Prior stroke/TIA | 908 (14.6) | 137 (12.3) | 1040 (14.3) | 0.125 |
| Vascular disease | 1068 (17.2) | 161 (14.5) | 1339 (18.4) | 0.003 |
| Mean HAS‐BLED score (SD) | 2.1 (1.2) | 1.9 (1.2) | 2.0 (1.2) | <0.001 |
| Conditions as included in HAS‐BLED score in addition to hypertension and prior stroke (%) b | ||||
| Renal disease | 947 (15.3) | 97 (8.7) | 1050 (14.5) | <0.001 |
| Liver disease | 13 (0.2) | <5 | 18 (0.2) | 0.564 |
| Prior major bleeding | 587 (9.5) | 117 (10.5) | 673 (9.3) | 0.409 |
| Medication usage c | 3153 (50.9) | 514 (46.2) | 3007 (41.4) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol usage | 275 (4.4) | 55 (4.9) | 266 (3.7) | 0.025 |
| Polypharmacy (%) d , e | 5377 (86.7) | 919 (82.6) | 6417 (88.3) | <0.001 |
| Concomitant medication (%) e | ||||
| VKA | 1810 (29.2) | 492 (44.2) | 3190 (43.9) | <0.001 |
| Antiplatelet drugs | 2891 (46.6) | 464 (41.7) | 2762 (38.0) | <0.001 |
| NSAIDs | 471 (7.6) | 92 (8.3) | 460 (6.3) | 0.004 |
| Digoxin | 1471 (23.7) | 286 (25.7) | 1739 (23.9) | 0.355 |
| Beta‐blocker | 4353 (70.2) | 700 (62.9) | 4814 (66.3) | <0.001 |
| Anti‐diabetic drugs | 812 (13.1) | 135 (12.1) | 985 (13.6) | 0.383 |
| Insulin | 216 (3.5) | 36 (3.2) | 292 (4.0) | 0.175 |
| Statins | 3413 (55.0) | 560 (50.4) | 3908 (53.8) | 0.012 |
IQR, interquartile range; NSAID, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug; SD, standard deviation; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; VKA, vitamin K antagonist (acenocoumarol, phenindione, warfarin sodium)
a
Chi‐square or ANOVA comparing all groups
b
Definitions are provided in supplementary Table S3
c
Medication predisposing to bleeding, assessed during the 6‐month period prior to the first prescription (comprises anti‐platelet drugs and NSAIDs)
d
Taking five or more different drugs concomitantly
e
During a 6‐month period directly preceding initiation of DOAC treatment