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. 2021 Apr 16;9(2):E364–E375. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20200138

Table 2:

Baseline characteristics of older adults in Ontario who started, continued or resumed oral anticoagulant therapy after hospital discharge between September 2010 and March 2015

Characteristic Entire cohort; no (%) of patients* Prevalent users; no (%) of patients*


Overall
n = 123 139
Incident users
n = 70 140
Prevalent users
n = 52 999
Standardized
difference
Switchers
n = 3674
Nonswitchers
n = 49 325
Standardized difference
Age, mean ± SD, yr 78.2 ± 7.7 76.1 ± 7.1 81.1 ± 7.6 0.69 79.4 ± 7.3 81.23 ± 7.6 0.24

Female sex 68 408 (55.6) 39 956 (57.0) 28 452 (53.7) 0.07 1846 (50.2) 26 606 (53.9) 0.07

Rural residence 19 931 (16.2) 11 892 (17.0) 8039 (15.2) 0.05 580 (15.8) 7459 (15.1) 0.02

Anticoagulant dispensed

Apixaban 5890 (4.8) 2810 (4.0) 3080 (5.8) 0.08 570 (15.5) 2510 (5.1) 0.35

Dabigatran 6608 (5.4) 2775 (4.0) 3833 (7.2) 0.14 473 (12.9) 3360 (6.8) 0.20

Rivaroxaban 51 409 (41.7) 42 546 (60.7) 8863 (16.7) 1.01 1150 (31.3) 7713 (15.6) 0.38

Warfarin 59 232 (48.1) 22 009 (31.4) 37 223 (70.2) 0.84 1481 (40.3) 35 742 (72.5) 0.69

Indication

Atrial fibrillation within 10 yr 62 957 (51.1) 22 530 (32.1) 40 427 (76.3) 0.99 2988 (81.3) 37 439 (75.9) 0.13

Joint replacement within 35 d 44 375 (36.0) 38 939 (55.5) 5436 (10.3) 1.10 502 (13.7) 4934 (10.0) 0.11

Major surgery during index hospital stay 22 043 (17.9) 17 384 (24.8) 4659 (8.8) 0.44 590 (16.1) 4069 (8.2) 0.24

Active cancer within 180 d 7858 (6.4) 3548 (5.1) 4310 (8.1) 0.12 278 (7.6) 4032 (8.2) 0.02

Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism during index hospital stay 6407 (5.2) 1783 (2.5) 4624 (8.7) 0.27 349 (9.5) 4275 (8.7) 0.03

Prescribing physician specialty

Family medicine 41 524 (33.7) 12 604 (18.0) 28 920 (54.6) 0.82 1274 (34.7) 27 646 (56.0) 0.44

Orthopedic surgery 31 394 (25.5) 28 014 (39.9) 3380 (6.4) 0.87 287 (7.8) 3093 (6.3) 0.06

Internal medicine 9958 (8.1) 5350 (7.6) 4608 (8.7) 0.04 432 (11.8) 4176 (8.5) 0.11

Cardiology 7083 (5.8) 3840 (5.5) 3243 (6.1) 0.03 441 (12.0) 2802 (5.7) 0.22

Hematology 2324 (1.9) 1808 (2.6) 516 (1.0) 0.12 107 (2.9) 409 (0.8) 0.15

Other 8792 (7.1) 4843 (6.9) 3949 (7.5) 0.02 387 (10.5) 3562 (7.2) 0.12

Unknown 22 064 (17.9) 13 681 (19.5) 8383 (15.8) 0.10 746 (20.3) 7637 (15.5) 0.13

Past medical history

No. of hospital admissions within 1 yr, mean ± SD 0.67 ± 1.16 0.30 ± 0.73 1.16 ± 1.42 0.76 0.99 ± 1.32 1.17 ± 1.43 0.13

No. of thromboembolic events within 3 yr 13 741 (11.2) 10 483 (19.8) 3258 (4.6) 0.48 730 (19.9) 9753 (19.8) 0.00

Ischemic stroke 4419 (3.6) 990 (1.4) 3429 (6.5) 0.26 228 (6.2) 3201 (6.5) 0.01

Transient ischemic attack 2757 (2.2) 853 (1.2) 1904 (3.6) 0.16 142 (3.9) 1762 (3.6) 0.02

Peripheral vascular disease event 2540 (2.1) 680 (1.0) 1860 (3.5) 0.17 106 (2.9) 1754 (3.6) 0.04

Systemic embolism 705 (0.6) 155 (0.2) 550 (1.0) 0.10 34 (0.9) 516 (1.0) 0.01

Pulmonary embolism 2393 (1.9) 349 (0.5) 2044 (3.9) 0.23 152 (4.1) 1892 (3.8) 0.02

Deep vein thrombosis 3280 (2.7) 580 (0.8) 2700 (5.1) 0.25 204 (5.6) 2496 (5.1) 0.02

Hemorrhagic event within 3 yr 13 406 (10.9) 3627 (5.2) 9779 (18.5) 0.42 616 (16.8) 9163 (18.6) 0.05

Intracranial bleeding 777 (0.6) 230 (0.3) 547 (1.0) 0.09 27 (0.7) 520 (1.1) 0.03

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding 3830 (3.1) 1068 (1.5) 2762 (5.2) 0.21 182 (5.0) 2580 (5.2) 0.01

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding 1498 (1.2) 453 (0.6) 1045 (2.0) 0.12 85 (2.3) 960 (1.9) 0.03

Other major bleed 8750 (7.1) 2132 (3.0) 6618 (12.5) 0.36 392 (10.7) 6226 (12.6) 0.06

Comorbidities

Congestive heart failure 47 133 (38.3) 14 265 (20.3) 32 868 (62.0) 0.93 2096 (57.0) 30 772 (62.4) 0.11

Hypertension 106 292 (86.3) 57 447 (81.9) 48 845 (92.2) 0.31 3378 (91.9) 45 467 (92.2) 0.01

Diabetes 46 522 (37.8) 22 569 (32.2) 23 953 (45.2) 0.27 1627 (44.3) 22 326 (45.3) 0.02

Renal dysfunction§ 11 216 (9.1) 2491 (3.6) 8725 (16.5) 0.44 418 (11.4) 8307 (16.8) 0.16

Liver dysfunction 1349 (1.1) 343 (0.5) 1006 (1.9) 0.13 68 (1.9) 938 (1.9) 0.00

Drug use disorder 14 226 (11.6) 11 642 (16.6) 2584 (4.9) 0.39 202 (5.5) 2382 (4.8) 0.03

Alcohol use disorder in previous 3 yr 1401 (1.1) 517 (0.7) 884 (1.7) 0.09 64 (1.7) 820 (1.7) 0.01

Charlson Comorbidity Index score

 0 20 946 (17.0) 11 714 (16.7) 9232 (17.4) 0.02 669 (18.2) 8563 (17.4) 0.02

 1 14 766 (12.0) 6041 (8.6) 8725 (16.5) 0.24 637 (17.3) 8088 (16.4) 0.03

 ≥ 2 32 563 (26.4) 8967 (12.8) 23 596 (44.5) 0.75 1355 (36.9) 22 241 (45.1) 0.17

 NA (no hospital admission) 54 864 (44.6) 43 418 (61.9) 11 446 (21.6) 0.90 1013 (27.6) 10 433 (21.2) 0.15

CHA2DS2-VASc score

 Mean ± SD 4.08 ± 1.59 3.49 ± 1.37 4.86 ± 1.53 0.95 4.77 ± 1.47 4.87 ± 1.53 0.07

 Median (IQR) 4 (3–5) 3 (3–4) 5 (4–6) 0.98 5 (4–6) 5 (4–6) 0.07

HAS-B_ED score

 Mean ± SD 2.20 ± 0.68 2.09 ± 0.63 2.36 ± 0.71 0.41 2.30 ± 0.69 2.37 ± 0.72 0.09

 Median (IQR) 2 (2–3) 2 (2–2) 2 (2–3) 0.38 2 (2–3) 2 (2–3) 0.10

Concomitant medication within previous 120 d

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug 19 273 (15.7) 15 344 (21.9) 3929 (7.4) 0.42 304 (8.3) 3625 (7.3) 0.03

Acetylsalicylic acid 2870 (2.3) 2212 (3.2) 658 (1.2) 0.13 41 (1.1) 617 (1.3) 0.01

Other antiplatelet 7026 (5.7) 4459 (6.4) 2567 (4.8) 0.07 207 (5.6) 2360 (4.8) 0.04

Amiodarone 4048 (3.3) 598 (0.9) 3450 (6.5) 0.30 242 (6.6) 3208 (6.5) 0.00

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor 14 864 (12.1) 6189 (8.8) 8675 (16.4) 0.23 428 (11.6) 8247 (16.7) 0.15

Antibiotic** 17 345 (14.1) 7384 (10.5) 9961 (18.8) 0.24 541 (14.7) 9420 (19.1) 0.12

Note: IQR = interquartile range, NA = not available, SD = standard deviation.

*

Except where noted otherwise.

Data missing for less than 0.07% of patients.

Patients could have more than 1 indication.

§

Included International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes for dialysis, chronic renal disease, renal cancer and renal surgery.

Included ICD-10 codes for cirrhosis, chronic liver disease, liver cancer, hepatitis and liver surgery.

**

Within 30 days.