Table 1.
Characteristics of users of 1, 2, and 3 or 4 secondary prevention medications.
| No. (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | 1 (n=1825) | 2 (n=1572) | 3 or 4 (n=1390) |
| Age, mean (SD), years | 84.7 (8.3) | 83.4 (8.1) | 81.9 (8.0) |
| Female sex | 1271 (69.6) | 1100 (70.0) | 898 (64.6) |
| Race | |||
| White | 1545 (84.7) | 1327 (84.4) | 1142 (82.2) |
| African American | 197 (10.8) | 170 (10.8) | 172 (12.4) |
| Other | 83 (4.5) | 75 (4.8) | 76 (5.4) |
| Body Mass Index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 25.3 (6.5) | 26.0 (6.6) | 26.3 (6.1) |
| Chronic Conditions | |||
| Hyperlipidemia | 173 (9.5) | 241 (15.3) | 347 (25.0) |
| Diabetes | 399 (21.9) | 394 (25.1) | 439 (31.6) |
| Hypertension | 945 (51.8) | 876 (55.7) | 885 (63.7) |
| Heart Failure | 866 (47.5) | 853 (54.3) | 718 (51.7) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 510 (28.0) | 435 (27.7) | 296 (21.3) |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 124 (6.8) | 117 (7.4) | 130 (9.4) |
| Depression | 217 (11.9) | 196 (12.5) | 187 (13.5) |
| COPD | 467 (25.6) | 396 (25.2) | 374 (26.9) |
| Arthritis | 236 (12.9) | 191 (12.2) | 165 (11.9) |
| PVD | 124 (6.8) | 117 (7.4) | 130 (9.4) |
| Elixhauser comorbidity score, median (IQR) | 3.1 (1.3) | 3.2 (1.3) | 3.2 (1.3) |
| ADL scale (28-point) before hospitalization, mean (SD) | 16.7 (7.3) | 15.9 (7.2) | 15.5 (7.2) |
| ADL status (categorical) before hospitalization* | |||
| Independent to limited assistance required | 600 (32.9) | 569 (36.2) | 522 (37.6) |
| Extensive assistance required | 538 (29.5) | 497 (31.6) | 478 (34.4) |
| Extensive dependency | 687 (37.6) | 506 (32.2) | 390 (29.0) |
| Cognitive status before hospitalization | |||
| Intact or borderline intact | 518 (28.4) | 485 (30.9) | 480 (34.5) |
| Mild to moderate dementia | 935 (51.2) | 799 (50.8) | 720 (51.8) |
| Moderately severe to very severe dementia | 372 (20.4) | 288 (18.3) | 190 (13.7) |
| CHESS score before hospitalization, mean (SD) † | 0.6 (0.8) | 0.7 (0.8) | 0.6 (0.8) |
| Geriatric symptoms before hospitalization | |||
| Falls | 392 (21.5) | 284 (18.1) | 237 (17.1) |
| Dyspnea | 141 (7.7) | 117 (7.4) | 100 (7.2) |
| Number of medications before hospitalization, median (IQR) | 10 (7–14) | 11 (8–14) | 11 (8–14) |
| Medication use before hospitalization | |||
| Warfarin | 180 (9.9) | 102 (6.5) | 78 (5.6) |
| Calcium channel blocker | 224 (12.3) | 173 (11.0) | 157 (11.3) |
| Thiazide diuretic | 82 (4.5) | 62 (3.9) | 50 (3.6) |
| Loop diuretic | 559 (30.6) | 385 (24.5) | 264 (19.0) |
| Nitrate | 230 (12.6) | 161 (10.2) | 119 (8.6) |
| Length of nursing home stay before hospitalization, median (IQR), d | 453 (104–1,160) | 344 (80–1,092) | 249 (70–930) |
| Length of hospital stay for AMI, median (IQR), d | 7 (5–10) | 6 (4–10) | 6 (4–9) |
| No. of days in ICU or CCU | |||
| None | 783 (42.9) | 642 (40.8) | 473 (34.0) |
| 1–2 | 467 (25.6) | 390 (24.8) | 426 (30.7) |
| ≥3 | 575 (31.5) | 540 (34.4) | 491 (35.3) |
| Nursing home care pathway after hospitalization | |||
| Skilled nursing facility benefit | 1,360 (74.5) | 1,226 (78.0) | 1,088 (78.3) |
| Long-term care | 465 (25.5) | 346 (22.0) | 302 (21.7) |
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range; COPD; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CHESS, Changes in Health, End-stage Disease, Signs, and Symptoms; PVD, peripheral vascular disease; ADL, activities of daily living; AMI, acute myocardial infarction; ICU, intensive care unit; CCU, coronary care unit.
*
Measured by the Morris 28-point scale of independence in ADLs, and categorized as 0 to 14 (independent to limited assistance required), 15 to 19 (extensive assistance required), and 20 or higher (extensive dependency).
†
Scores ranging from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater health instability.