Association of income and educational levels on initiation of oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with incident atrial fibrillation: A Finnish nationwide cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Socioeconomic disparities have been reported in the outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We assessed the hypothesis that AF patients with higher income or educational level are more frequently initiated with oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy for stroke prevention.

Methods

The nationwide registry-based Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation cohort covers all patients with AF from all levels of care in Finland. Patients were divided into income quartiles according to their highest annual income during 2004-2018 and into three categories based on educational attainment. The outcome was the first redeemed OAC prescription.

Results

We identified 239 222 patients (mean age 72.7 ± 13.2 years, 49.8% female) with incident AF during 2007-2018. Higher

SUBMITTER: Teppo K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10087474 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature