TABLE 3.
Characteristics of the first NOAC prescription among patients with NVAF (July 2009 to June 2017)
| Characteristic of index NOAC prescription | Apixaban | Dabigatran | Rivaroxaban |
|---|---|---|---|
| N = 2153 n (%) | N = 3089 n (%) | N = 5286 n (%) | |
| Posology | |||
| Once daily | 365 (17.0) | 542 (17.5) | 5140 (97.2) |
| Twice daily | 1788 (83.0) | 2547 (82.5) | 146 (2.8) |
| Daily dose of first apixaban prescription (mg) | |||
| 2.5 | 183 (8.5) | — | — |
| 5 | 1151 (53.5) | — | — |
| 10 | 819 (38.0) | — | — |
| Daily dose of first dabigatran prescription (mg) | |||
| 75 | — | 23 (0.7) | — |
| 110 | — | 330 (10.7) | — |
| 150 | — | 253 (8.2) | — |
| 220 | — | 1530 (49.5) | — |
| 300 | — | 953 (30.9) | — |
| Daily dose of first rivaroxaban prescription (mg) | |||
| 2.5‐5 | — | — | 9 (0.2) |
| 10 | — | — | 191 (3.6) |
| 15 | — | — | 1978 (37.4) |
| 20 | — | — | 3006 (56.9) |
| 30 | — | — | 50 (0.9) |
| 40 | — | — | 52 (1.0) |
| Duration of first continuous episode of NOAC use, days a , b | |||
| 1‐30 | 379 (28.5) | 618 (25.1) | 549 (14.4) |
| 31‐90 | 157 (11.8) | 249 (10.1) | 704 (18.4) |
| 91‐180 | 201 (15.1) | 329 (13.4) | 556 (14.5) |
| >180 | 594 (44.6) | 1263 (51.4) | 2016 (52.7) |
Abbreviations: NOAC, non‐vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs; NVAF, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs.
a
Duration of first episode of continuous treatment (either no gap in treatment of >30 days between the end of the supply of a prescription and the start of the next prescription for the same NOAC or no further prescription).
b
Among patients with at least 1 year of follow‐up in the database (1331 for apixaban, 2459 for dabigatran, and 3825 for rivaroxaban).