Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41044761›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Racial disparities and trends in anticoagulant use among ambulatory care patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in the United States from 2007 to 2019.

Vincent Kan, Kate Lapane, David McManus, Jonggyu Baek, Chad Darling, Matthew Alcusky

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Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Vincent KanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Ave N, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States. vincent.kan@umassmed.edu.
Kate LapaneDivision of Epidemiology, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
David McManusDepartment of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
Jonggyu BaekDivision of Biostatistics and Health Services, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Chad DarlingDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Ave N, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States.
Matthew AlcuskyDivision of Epidemiology, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, significantly increasing the risk of stroke. The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) since 2010 has transformed anticoagulation therapy, offering an alternative to warfarin with improved safety profiles. Despite the increased adoption of DOACs, disparities in their use among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States remain understudied.

methodsThis study utilized a repeated cross-sectional design, analyzing data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) from 2007 to 2019. The study population included adults diagnosed with AF or atrial flutter (AFL). We analyzed the temporal trends of DOAC and warfarin use from 2007 to 2019. We examined the prevalence of DOAC versus warfarin use and assessed associations between race/ethnicity, patient characteristics, and DOAC utilization from 2011 to 2019. Multivariable modified Poisson regression models were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the associations.

resultsFrom 2011 to 2019, NAMCS recorded 3,224 visits involving AF or AFL, representing a weighted estimate of 103.6 million visits. DOAC use increased significantly, with apixaban becoming the predominant anticoagulant by 2016. The rate of DOAC adoption was slower for non-Hispanic Black compared to non-Hispanic White patients over time (aPR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.90). Patients with Medicaid insurance were also less likely to use DOACs (aPR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.04-0.46).

conclusionDespite the shift from warfarin to DOACs for AF and AFL treatment, significant racial and socioeconomic disparities persist. Non-Hispanic Black patients adopted to DOAC use more slowly than non-Hispanic White patients, widening the treatment gap over time. Those with Medicaid insurance are less likely to use DOACs compared to those with private insurance. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to ensure equitable access to advanced anticoagulant therapies.

Indexed as

Ambulatory CareAnticoagulantsAtrial FibrillationAtrial FlutterHealthcare DisparitiesRacial GroupsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth Care SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedUnited StatesAnticoagulantsWarfarinAtrial fibrillationAtrial flutterDOACRacial disparitySocioeconomic disparityTrends in anticoagulant use

Identifiers

PMID41044761
PMCPMC12495701

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.