title: Aspirin Instead of Oral Anticoagulant Prescription in Atrial Fibrillation Patients at Risk for Stroke.
abstract: Oral anticoagulation (OAC), rather than aspirin, is recommended in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at moderate to high risk of stroke.
  
  
  
  This study sought to examine patient and practice-level factors associated with prescription of aspirin alone compared with OAC in AF patients at intermediate to high stroke risk in real-world cardiology practices.
  
  
  
  The authors identified 2 cohorts of outpatients with AF and intermediate to high thromboembolic risk (CHADS2 score ≥2 and CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2) enrolled in the American College of Cardiology PINNACLE (Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence) registry between 2008 and 2012. Using hierarchical modified Poisson regression models adjusted for patient and practice characteristics, the authors examined the prevalence and predictors of aspirin alone versus OAC prescription in AF patients at risk for stroke.
  
  
  
  Of 210,380 identified patients with CHADS2 score ≥2 on antithrombotic therapy, 80,371 (38.2%) were treated with aspirin alone, and 130,009 (61.8%) were treated with warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist OACs. In the cohort of 294,642 patients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2, 118,398 (40.2%) were treated with aspirin alone, and 176,244 (59.8%) were treated with warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist OACs. After multivariable adjustment, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, prior myocardial infarction, unstable and stable angina, recent coronary artery bypass graft, and peripheral arterial disease were associated with prescription of aspirin only, whereas male sex, higher body mass index, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, prior systemic embolism, and congestive heart failure were associated with more frequent prescription of OAC.
  
  
  
  In a large, real-world cardiac outpatient population of AF patients with a moderate to high risk of stroke, more than 1 in 3 were treated with aspirin alone without OAC. Specific patient characteristics predicted prescription of aspirin therapy over OAC.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California. Electronic address: Jonathan.Hsu@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System/University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Maddox
authors.affiliation: Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Lucas N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Marzec
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Arrhythmia Service and Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lubitz
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gehi
authors.affiliation: VA Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Mintu P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Turakhia
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Marcus
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D014859:Warfarin; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score; CHADS(2) score; aspirin; thromboembolism