TABLE 2.
Medication use in the year before the start of NOAC therapy in patients with NVAF (July 2009 to June 2017)
| Medication | Apixaban | Dabigatran | Rivaroxaban |
|---|---|---|---|
| N = 2153 | N = 3089 | N = 5286 | |
| Low‐dose aspirin | 924 (43) | 1349 (44) | 2386 (45) |
| Clopidogrel | 240 (11) | 329 (11) | 543 (10) |
| NSAIDs | 216 (10) | 343 (11) | 695 (13) |
| Oral steroids | 140 (7) | 161 (5) | 347 (7) |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs | 323 (15) | 533 (17) | 932 (18) |
| Amiodarone | 287 (13) | 462 (15) | 824 (16) |
| Βeta‐blockers | 1258 (58) | 1792 (58) | 3177 (60) |
| ACE‐inhibitors | 373 (17) | 553 (18) | 988 (19) |
| Diuretics | 882 (41) | 1230 (40) | 2290 (43) |
| Statins | 1193 (55) | 1665 (54) | 3020 (57) |
| Antidiabetic drugs | 370 (17) | 499 (16) | 893 (17) |
| PPIs | 950 (44) | 1322 (43) | 2388 (45) |
| H2RAs | 170 (8) | 306 (10) | 521 (10) |
| Antidepressants | 375 (17) | 472 (15) | 886 (17) |
| Polypharmacy a | |||
| None | 473 (22.0) | 722 (23.4) | 1007 (19.1) |
| 1‐4 | 428 (19.9) | 620 (20.1) | 1077 (20.4) |
| 5‐9 | 704 (32.7) | 1016 (32.9) | 1785 (33.8) |
| ≥10 | 548 (25.5) | 731 (23.7) | 1417 (26.8) |
Note: Data are n (%).
Abbreviations: ACE, angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme; H2RAs, H2‐receptor antagonists; NOAC, non‐vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs; NVAF, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs; PPIs, proton pump inhibitors.
a
Number of different medications in the previous 2 months.