Table 1.
Characteristics by Polypharmacy Use Among AF Patients Aged ≥75 Years, MarketScan, 2007–2015
| No Polypharmacy | Polypharmacy | P Valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | 162 803 (48.0) | 176 007 (52.0) | |
| Age, mean±SD | 83.3±5.5 | 82.8±5.2 | |
| Female, % | 50.5 | 51.3 | |
| Comorbidities, % | |||
| Hypertension | 64.1 | 72.1 | <0.0001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 26.5 | 33.9 | <0.0001 |
| Coronary artery disease | 38.7 | 48.8 | <0.0001 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 40.8 | 47.1 | <0.0001 |
| Stroke | 25.3 | 27.2 | <0.0001 |
| Arthritis | 30.2 | 33.5 | <0.0001 |
| Myocardial infarction | 9.3 | 10.3 | <0.0001 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 15.8 | 19.2 | <0.0001 |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding | 8.9 | 9.5 | <0.0001 |
| Cerebral bleeding | 1.9 | 1.5 | <0.0001 |
| Other bleeding | 10.3 | 11.2 | <0.0001 |
| Anemia | 23.8 | 25.7 | <0.0001 |
| Coagulopathy | 5.9 | 6.5 | <0.0001 |
| Mood disorder | 6.6 | 8.2 | <0.0001 |
| Cognitive impairment | 6.6 | 5.3 | <0.0001 |
| Liver disease | 3.4 | 3.4 | 0.97 |
| Alcohol abuse | 0.9 | 0.7 | <0.0001 |
| Asthma | 5.7 | 8.3 | <0.0001 |
| Cancer | 30.2 | 31 | <0.0001 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 19.9 | 25 | <0.0001 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 21.5 | 26.2 | <0.0001 |
| Dementia | 13.1 | 12 | <0.0001 |
| Depression | 6.8 | 8.4 | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 23.2 | 36.7 | <0.0001 |
| Hepatitis | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.32 |
| Osteoporosis | 9.5 | 9.8 | 0.002 |
| Schizophrenia | 3.7 | 3.4 | <0.0001 |
| Substance abuse | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.0003 |
| AF treatment during 30 d after AF, % | |||
| OACs | 24.5 | 32.7 | <0.0001 |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs | 1.7 | 2.1 | <0.0001 |
| Catheter ablation | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.003 |
| Cardioversion | 1.3 | 1.8 | <0.0001 |
| Rate control therapy | 41.2 | 51.9 | <0.0001 |
Polypharmacy defined as ≥5 prescriptions at the time of AF diagnosis (polypharmacy definition 1). AF indicates atrial fibrillation; and OAC, oral anticoagulant.
a
χ2 P values.