Table 1. Baseline characteristics of non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients initiating warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban for non-valvular atrial fibrillation from 15 July 2013 to 31 December 2015 in Norway.
Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise.
| Characteristics | Warfarin | Dabigatran | Rivaroxaban | Apixaban | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | 6435 (100) | 5984 (100) | 7851 (100) | 10550 (100) | 30820 (100) |
| Year at index date | |||||
| 2013 | 1747 (27) | 1753 (29) | 1414 (18) | 350 (3) | 5264 (17) |
| 2014 | 2961 (46) | 3076 (51) | 3048 (39) | 3401 (32) | 12486 (41) |
| 2015 | 1727 (27) | 1155 (19) | 3389 (43) | 6799 (64) | 13070 (42) |
| Age, years | |||||
| Mean (SD) | 73.6 (11.9) | 70.6 (11.3) | 73.7 (10.9) | 74.2 (11.0) | 73.3 (11.3) |
| 18–64 | 1241 (19) | 1517 (25) | 1398 (18) | 1761 (17) | 5917 (19) |
| 65–74 | 1876 (29) | 2249 (38) | 2659 (34) | 3488 (33) | 10272 (33) |
| ≥75 | 3318 (52) | 2218 (37) | 3794 (48) | 5301 (50) | 14631 (47) |
| Female | 2629 (41) | 2370 (40) | 3553 (45) | 4876 (46) | 13428 (44) |
| Oral anticoagulant initiated by physician in secondary or tertiary care | 3323 (52) | 3312 (55) | 4174 (53) | 7290 (69) | 18099 (59) |
| Low-intensity DOAC | - | 2038 (34) | 2085 (27) | 2877 (27) | 7000 (23) |
| Medical history (last 5 years) | |||||
| Atrial fibrillation previously diagnosed in secondary or tertiary care | 4478 (70) | 3821 (64) | 5055 (64) | 7788 (74) | 21142 (69) |
| Pacemaker / defibrillator | 289 (4) | 228 (4) | 362 (5) | 493 (5) | 1372 (4) |
| Valvular disease (÷ mitral stenosis or heart valve prosthesis) | 954 (15) | 545 (9) | 895 (11) | 1383 (13) | 3777 (12) |
| Congestive heart failure | 2300 (36) | 1295 (22) | 1930 (25) | 3138 (30) | 8663 (28) |
| Hypertension | 4591 (71) | 3867 (65) | 5529 (70) | 7581 (72) | 21568 (70) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1144 (18) | 748 (13) | 1107 (14) | 1613 (15) | 4612 (15) |
| Ischemic stroke, TIA or systemic embolism | 895 (14) | 781 (13) | 1281 (16) | 1885 (18) | 4842 (16) |
| History of acute myocardial infarction | 1477 (23) | 714 (12) | 1048 (13) | 1641 (16) | 4880 (16) |
| Atherosclerosis or peripheral artery disease | 472 (7) | 274 (5) | 517 (7) | 736 (7) | 1999 (6) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1031 (16) | 279 (5) | 546 (7) | 1094 (10) | 2950 (10) |
| Liver disease | 163 (3) | 109 (2) | 156 (2) | 189 (2) | 617 (2) |
| History of intracranial bleeding | 66 (1) | 35 (<1) | 61 (<1) | 99 (<1) | 261 (<1) |
| History of gastrointestinal bleeding | 278 (4) | 162 (3) | 217 (3) | 357 (3) | 1014 (3) |
| History of other major bleeding | 626 (10) | 432 (7) | 689 (9) | 971 (9) | 2718 (9) |
| Alcohol misuse | 89 (1) | 96 (2) | 143 (2) | 162 (2) | 490 (2) |
| Chronic lung disease | 1565 (24) | 1277 (21) | 1792 (23) | 2676 (25) | 7310 (24) |
| Cancer | 835 (13) | 572 (10) | 924 (12) | 1270 (12) | 3601 (12) |
| Coagulation/platelet defect | 163 (3) | 120 (2) | 163 (2) | 183 (2) | 629 (2) |
| Venous thromboembolism | 191 (3) | 95 (2) | 234 (3) | 232 (2) | 752 (2) |
| Disease in precerebral or cerebral artery | 190 (3) | 145 (2) | 197 (3) | 313 (3) | 845 (3) |
| Esophagitis, gastritis, duodenitis, acid reflux or peptic ulcer | 1744 (27) | 1141 (19) | 1769 (23) | 2586 (25) | 7240 (23) |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 96 (1) | 72 (1) | 110 (1) | 137 (1) | 415 (1) |
| Osteoporosis | 531 (8) | 381 (6) | 627 (8) | 1018 (10) | 2557 (8) |
| Anemia | 975 (15) | 536 (9) | 883 (11) | 1298 (12) | 3692 (12) |
| Undernourished or vitamin deficiency | 326 (5) | 199 (3) | 360 (5) | 541 (5) | 1426 (5) |
| Dementia | 127 (2) | 86 (1) | 188 (2) | 255 (2) | 656 (2) |
| Delirium | 67 (1) | 27 (<1) | 94 (1) | 144 (1) | 332 (1) |
| Fall | 245 (4) | 212 (4) | 297 (4) | 471 (4) | 1225 (4) |
| Number of hospital admissions in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 2431 (38) | 3090 (52) | 4063 (52) | 4051 (38) | 13635 (44) |
| 1 | 2586 (40) | 2258 (38) | 2833 (36) | 4849 (46) | 12526 (41) |
| ≥2 | 1418 (22) | 636 (11) | 955 (12) | 1650 (16) | 4659 (15) |
| Number of outpatient visit in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 2103 (33) | 2153 (36) | 2534 (32) | 3296 (31) | 10086 (33) |
| 1 | 1464 (23) | 1480 (25) | 1807 (23) | 2571 (24) | 7322 (24) |
| ≥2 | 2868 (45) | 2351 (39) | 3510 (45) | 4683 (44) | 13412 (44) |
| Prescription drug use (last 6 months) | |||||
| Number of drugs dispensed | |||||
| 0–4 | 889 (14) | 1248 (21) | 1259 (16) | 1521 (14) | 4917 (16) |
| 5–9 | 2427 (38) | 2733 (46) | 3394 (43) | 4400 (42) | 12954 (42) |
| 10–14 | 1874 (29) | 1408 (24) | 2136 (27) | 2968 (28) | 8386 (27) |
| ≥15 | 1245 (19) | 595 (10) | 1062 (14) | 1661 (16) | 4563 (15) |
| Antacids, H2-receptor antagonist or PPI | 1952 (30) | 1226 (20) | 1961 (25) | 2860 (27) | 7999 (26) |
| Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug | 1405 (22) | 1430 (24) | 1828 (23) | 2453 (23) | 7116 (23) |
| Glucocorticoids | 1047 (16) | 650 (11) | 1018 (13) | 1407 (13) | 4122 (13) |
| Acetylsalicylic acid | 3617 (56) | 2641 (44) | 3957 (50) | 5311 (50) | 15526 (50) |
| Platelet aggregation inhibitor | 1011 (16) | 487 (8) | 770 (10) | 1208 (11) | 3476 (11) |
| ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II antagonist | 3518 (55) | 2891 (48) | 3979 (51) | 5568 (53) | 15956 (52) |
| Antiarrhythmic | 654 (10) | 310 (5) | 426 (5) | 819 (8) | 2209 (7) |
| Beta blocking agent | 4852 (75) | 4237 (71) | 5322 (68) | 7671 (73) | 22082 (72) |
| Calcium channel blocker | 1906 (30) | 1433 (24) | 2091 (27) | 2921 (28) | 8351 (27) |
| Digitoxin / digoxin | 385 (6) | 293 (5) | 329 (4) | 556 (5) | 1563 (5) |
| Diuretics | 2297 (36) | 1233 (21) | 1934 (25) | 2892 (27) | 8356 (27) |
| Lipid modifying agent | 3267 (51) | 2468 (41) | 3544 (45) | 5096 (48) | 14375 (47) |
| Nitrate | 916 (14) | 459 (8) | 746 (10) | 1219 (12) | 3340 (11) |
| Antidepressant | 700 (11) | 577 (10) | 893 (11) | 1244 (12) | 3414 (11) |
| Antipsychotic | 218 (3) | 164 (3) | 275 (4) | 349 (3) | 1006 (3) |
| Anxiolytic, hypnotic or sedative | 2140 (33) | 1746 (29) | 2537 (32) | 3464 (33) | 9887 (32) |
| Antiepileptic | 297 (5) | 210 (4) | 342 (4) | 426 (4) | 1275 (4) |
| Risk scores | |||||
| CHA2DS2-VASc | |||||
| ≥2 | 5542 (86) | 4730 (79) | 6812 (87) | 9326 (88) | 26410 (86) |
| Mean (SD) | 3.5 (1.8) | 2.9 (1.7) | 3.4 (1.7) | 3.5 (1.7) | 3.4 (1.7) |
| Modified HAS-BLED | |||||
| ≥3 | 3554 (55) | 2513 (42) | 3968 (51) | 5689 (54) | 15724 (51) |
| Mean (SD) | 2.6 (1.2) | 2.2 (1.2) | 2.5 (1.1) | 2.5 (1.1) | 2.5 (1.2) |
TIA: transient ischemic attack. PPI: proton pump inhibitor. CHA2DS2-VASc: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 [doubled], previous stroke/TIA/systemic embolism [doubled], vascular disease, age 65–74, female sex. Modified HAS-BLED: hypertension, abnormal liver/kidney function, previous stroke/TIA/systemic embolism, bleeding history, age >65, alcohol abuse or concomitant use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or platelet inhibitor.