| Literature DB >> 32394763 |
Celina M Yong1,2, Jennifer A Tremmel2, Maarten G Lansberg3, Jun Fan1, Mariam Askari1, Mintu P Turakhia1,2,4.
Abstract
Background Female sex is an independent predictor of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Older data suggest undertreatment with anticoagulation among women compared with men. However, it is unknown if novel therapies and updated guidelines have impacted sex differences in AF treatment and outcomes. Methods and Results We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2.3 million women and men with a new diagnosis of AF and CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 from Marketscan US commercial claims data from 2008 to 2015 to determine whether women with AF remain undertreated and whether this difference mediates observed differences in outcomes. There were 358 649 patients with newly diagnosed AF (43% women). Compared with men, women were older, with higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores, and higher comorbidity burden (P<0.0001 for all). Oral anticoagulation-eligible women with CHA2DS2-VASc scores ≥2 were more likely to not receive anticoagulation (50.0% women versus 43.9% men). Women, compared with men, had a higher risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.27; 95% CI, 1.21-1.32; P<0.0001) and hospitalization (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.07, P<0.0001) but had a lower risk of intracranial bleeding (aHR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99, P=0.03). In mediation analysis, nonreceipt of oral anticoagulation partially mediated the observed increased risk of stroke and decreased risk of intracranial bleeding in women. Conclusions In the care of newly diagnosed AF in the United States, women, compared with men, are less likely to receive oral anticoagulation. This appears to mediate the increased risk of both stroke and hospitalization but also appears to mediate lower observed intracranial bleeding risk.Entities:
Keywords: anticoagulation; atrial fibrillation; women
Mesh:
Substances:
Year: 2020 PMID: 32394763 PMCID: PMC7660841 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.120.015689
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Am Heart Assoc ISSN: 2047-9980 Impact factor: 5.501
Figure 1Cohort inclusion criteria.
Final analysis cohort included 358 649 patients.
Baseline Characteristics
| All Patients (N=358 649) | Male (N=205 756) | Female (N=152 893) |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, % | 43 | |||
| Male, % | 57 | |||
| Age, y | 66.2±13.4 | 64.2±13.2 | 68.9±13.3 | <0.0001 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 1.4±1.5 | 1.4±1.5 | 1.4±1.4 | 0.49 |
| Selim Comorbidity Index | 3.6±2.7 | 3.5±2.7 | 3.8±2.7 | <0.0001 |
| CHADS2 score | 1.4±1.2 | 1.3±1.2 | 1.5±1.2 | <0.0001 |
| CHA2DS2‐VASc score | 2.7±1.8 | 2.1±1.7 | 3.4±1.6 | <0.0001 |
| HAS‐BLED score | 1.7±1.2 | 1.6±1.2 | 1.8±1.2 | <0.0001 |
| Disease, n (%) | ||||
| Congestive heart failure | 79 966 (22.3) | 46 164 (22.4) | 33 802 (22.1) | 0.02 |
| Hypertension | 225 298 (62.8) | 125 118 (60.8) | 100 180 (65.5) | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 103 167 (28.8) | 62 465 (30.4) | 40 702 (26.6) | <0.0001 |
| Prior stroke/transient ischemic attack | 23 766 (6.6) | 11 837 (5.8) | 11 929 (7.8) | <0.0001 |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 21 239 (5.9) | 13 992 (6.8) | 7247 (4.7) | <0.0001 |
| Anemia | 50 944 (14.2) | 25 841 (12.6) | 25 103 (16.4) | <0.0001 |
| Prior bleeding | 38 273 (10.7) | 22 380 (10.9) | 15 893 (10.4) | <0.0001 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 28 378 (7.9) | 16 015 (7.9) | 12 363 (8.1) | 0.0009 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 44 036 (12.3) | 26 010 (12.6) | 18 026 (11.8) | <0.0001 |
| Region, n (%) | <0.0001 | |||
| Northeast | 67 105 (18.7) | 38 312 (18.6) | 28 793 (18.8) | |
| North Central | 113 898 (31.8) | 64 019 (31.1) | 49 879 (32.6) | |
| South | 114 281 (31.9) | 66 328 (32.2) | 47 953 (31.4) | |
| West | 60 692 (16.9) | 35 444 (17.2) | 25 248 (16.5) | |
| Unknown | 2673 (0.8) | 1653 (0.8) | 1020 (0.7) | |
| Insurance plan type, n (%) | <0.0001 | |||
| Comprehensive | 110 584 (30.8) | 56 998 (27.7) | 53 586 (35.1) | |
| EPO | 1534 (0.4) | 1084 (0.5) | 450 (0.3) | |
| HMO | 44 510 (12.4) | 25 692 (12.5) | 18 818 (12.3) | |
| POS | 18 463 (5.2) | 11 122 (5.4) | 7341 (4.8) | |
| PPO | 163 913 (45.7) | 98 237 (47.7) | 65 676 (43.0) | |
| POS with capitation | 887 (0.3) | 610 (0.3) | 277 (0.2) | |
| CDHP | 7212 (2.0) | 4708 (2.3) | 2504 (1.6) | |
| HDHP | 2897 (0.8) | 2025 (1.0) | 872 (0.6) | |
| Missing | 8649 (2.4) | 5280 (2.6) | 3369 (2.2) | |
| Baseline medications | ||||
| Cardiovascular medications, n (%) | ||||
| Aspirin | 3608 (1.0) | 1835 (0.9) | 1773 (1.2) | <0.0001 |
| Warfarin | 49 927 (13.9) | 29 061 (14.1) | 20 866 (13.7) | <0.0001 |
| Dabigatran | 1817 (0.5) | 1153 (0.6) | 664 (0.4) | <0.0001 |
| Rivaroxaban | 1182 (0.3) | 663 (0.3) | 519 (0.3) | 0.37 |
| Clopidogrel | 34 498 (9.6) | 21 707 (10.6) | 12 791 (8.4) | <0.0001 |
| Apixaban | 160 | 97 | 63 | <0.0001 |
| (0.04) | (0.05) | (0.04) | ||
| Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers | 181 621 (50.6) | 102 646 (49.9) | 78 975 (51.7) | <0.0001 |
| Diuretics | 142 564 (35.5) | 72 997 (35.5) | 69 567 (45.5) | <0.0001 |
| Niacin or fibrates | 14 101 (3.9) | 10 576 (5.1) | 3525 (2.3) | <0.0001 |
| Statins | 148 140 (43.5) | 89 477 (43.5) | 58 663 (38.4) | <0.0001 |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs, n (%) | ||||
| All Class I | 14 759 (4.1) | 6555 (3.2) | 8204 (5.4) | <0.0001 |
| Class III (sotalol/dofetilide) | 5757 (1.6) | 3457 (1.7) | 2300 (1.5) | <0.0001 |
| Amiodarone | 9186 (2.6) | 5934 (2.9) | 3252 (2.1) | <0.0001 |
| Rate‐controlling drugs, n (%) | ||||
| Metoprolol | 80 532 (22.5) | 44 469 (21.6) | 36 063 (23.6) | <0.0001 |
| Carvedilol | 27 928 (7.8) | 18 250 (8.9) | 9678 (6.3) | <0.0001 |
| Atenolol | 33 071 (9.2) | 16 954 (8.2%) | 16 117 (10.5%) | <0.0001 |
| (8.2) | (10.5) | |||
| Calcium channel blockers, n (%) | ||||
| Diltiazem | 20 404 (5.7) | 9736 (4.7) | 10 668 (7.0) | <0.0001 |
| Verapamil | 7829 (2.2) | 3622 (1.8) | 4207 (2.8) | <0.0001 |
CDHP indicates consumer‐directed health plan; EPO, exclusive provider organization; HDHP, high‐deductible health plan; HMO, health maintenance organization; POS, point of service; and PPO, preferred provider organization.
Anticoagulation by Sex and CHA2DS2‐VASC and HAS‐BLED Scores
| Medication(s) | All Patients (N=358 649) , n (%) | Male (N=205 756) , n (%) | Female (N=87 581) , n (%) |
| Anticoagulation‐Eligible Patients | Male (N=107 439) , n (%) | Female (N =119 510) , n (%) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No anticoagulation | 176 239 (49.1) | 96 424 (46.9) | 79 815 (52.2) | <0.0001 | 105 255 (46.4) | 46 121 (42.9) | 59 134 (49.5) | <0.0001 |
| Any anticoagulation | 182 410 (50.9) | 109 332 (53.1) | 73 078 (47.8) | <0.0001 | 121 694 (53.6) | 61 318 (57.1) | 60 376 (50.5) | <0.0001 |
| Warfarin | 142 868 (39.8) | 84 637 (41.1) | 58 231 (38.1) | <0.0001 | 97 374 (42.9) | 49 130 (45.7) | 48 244 (40.4) | <0.0001 |
| Direct oral anticoagulants | 49 193 (13.7) | 30 318 (14.8) | 18 875 (12.4) | <0.0001 | 31 034 (13.9) | 15 545 (14.5) | 15 489 (13) | <0.0001 |
| Dabigatran | 22 057 (6.2) | 14 017 (6.8) | 8040 (5.3) | <0.0001 | 13 775 (6.1) | 7163 (6.7) | 6612 (5.5) | <0.0001 |
| Rivaroxaban | 20 587 (5.7) | 12 466 (6.1) | 8121 (5.3) | <0.0001 | 12 946 (5.9) | 6301 (5.9) | 6645 (5.6) | 0.0018 |
| Apixaban | 6549 (1.8) | 3835 (1.9) | 2714 (1.8) | 0.05 | 4313 (1.9) | 2081 (1.9) | 2232 (1.9) | 0.23 |
Anticoagulation eligible defined as CHA2DS2Vasc Score≥2 and HAS‐BLED score ≤3.
Primary Outcomes (N=358 649)
| Outcomes | Sex | Patients, N | Events, N (%) | Unadjusted Incidence Rate (per 1000 person‐years) | Unadjusted Hazard Ratio |
| Adjusted Hazard Ratio |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All‐cause hospitalization | Female | 152 893 | 93 068 (60.9) | 344.7 (342.5–346.9) | 1.14 (1.13–1.15) | <0.001 | 1.06 (1.05–1.07) | <0.0001 |
| Male | 205 756 | 115 558 (56.2) | 297.9 (296.2–299.6) | |||||
| Stroke | Female | 152 893 | 5114 (3.3) | 10.9 (10.6–11.2) | 1.52 (1.46–1.59) | <0.0001 | 1.27 (1.21–1.32) | <0.0001 |
| Male | 205 756 | 4574 (2.2) | 7.2 (7.0–7.4) | |||||
| ICH | Female | 152 893 | 921 (0.6) | 1.9 (1.8–2.1) | 1.04 (0.95–1.13) | 0.39 | 0.91 (0.83–0.99) | 0.03 |
| Male | 205 756 | 1189 (0.6) | 1.8 (1.7–2.0) |
ICH indicates intracranial hemorrhage.
Reference group is male.
Adjusted for age, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, region, insurance plan, and receipt of concomitant drug therapies (antiplatelet agent, angiotensin‐converting enzyme/angiotensin receptor blocker, stain, niacin/fibrate).
Figure 2Mediation of sex differences in outcomes by OAC use.
OAC use partially mediates gender differences in all‐cause hospitalization, stroke, and ICH for the cohort with CHA2DS2VASc score ≥2. ICH indicates intracerebral hemorrhage; and OAC, oral anticoagulant.