Warfarin and aspirin use and the predictors of major bleeding complications in atrial fibrillation (the Framingham Heart Study).
The Framingham Heart Study records of participants with atrial fibrillation (AF) during 1980 and 1994 were retrospectively reviewed to determine the prevalence of warfarin and aspirin use in AF. Anticoagulant use increased significantly in the 393 men and women (mean ages 72.5 and 79.0 years, respectively) who developed AF over the observation period: aspirin use increased from 14% to 39% in men and from 19% to 33% in women, and warfarin use increased from 10% to 39% in men and from 17% to 38% in women. There were no significant gender differences in anticoagulant use (p = 0.61), but participants using warfarin were younger. A total of 65 participants (17%) had major bleeding complications <or=5 years after initial AF. Age was not a significant predictor of bleeding.
Sam
Colleen
C
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. csam@emory.edu <csam@emory.edu>
Massaro
Joseph M
JM
D'Agostino
Ralph B
RB
Levy
Daniel
D
Lambert
Jarvis W
JW
Wolf
Philip A
PA
Benjamin
Emelia J
EJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014859:Warfarin / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin; D001241:Aspirin