Table 1 Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, medication use, and resource utilization 12 months before study entry among initiators of different angiotensin receptor blockers

Number of patients

127,383

183,486

80,845

39,430

35,017

26,369

Patient characteristics

Age at ARBs initiation (mean ± SD)

59.55 ± 14.39

60.00 ± 14.41

59.20 ± 14.39

59.67 ± 14.35

58.82 ± 14.12

58.45 ± 14.28

Male (%)

52.64

52.88

54.12

52.88

52.67

54.96

Initiation year (%)

2004

21.16

23.23

25.33

7.22

21.06

0.88

2005

14.87

18.52

18.68

10.06

15.53

9.15

2006

11.54

15.59

15.97

17.58

13.72

14.77

2007

12.52

14.84

14.27

21.41

16.91

20.40

2008

19.21

13.60

13.42

22.74

16.57

27.46

2009

20.71

14.23

12.33

20.99

16.20

27.34

Comorbidities (%)

Hypertension

87.05

88.36

88.68

85.87

90.72

91.20

Ischemic heart disease

19.19

20.78

19.80

27.30

19.76

18.22

Myocardial infarction

0.91

1.03

0.90

1.24

0.76

0.53

Heart failure

5.31

6.21

5.15

8.34

3.99

3.30

Atrial fibrillation

2.37

2.19

2.18

3.06

1.35

1.21

Cerebrovascular disease

11.01

14.17

14.68

11.32

11.91

11.08

Ischemic stroke

6.08

7.72

8.06

5.91

5.88

5.74

Intracerebral hemorrhage

1.13

2.30

2.16

1.36

1.53

1.39

Peripheral vascular disease

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.03

0.06

0.04

Chronic renal failure

3.48

3.15

4.28

2.10

2.51

2.24

Chronic liver disease

10.62

10.37

10.55

10.99

10.42

10.12

Chronic lung disease

17.12

18.04

16.80

17.22

16.22

16.43

Depression

4.08

4.28

4.30

4.18

4.18

4.00

Charlson’s index (mean ± SD)

0.78 ± 1.03

0.83 ± 1.05

0.84 ± 1.06

0.78 ± 1.01

0.73 ± 0.99

0.68 ± 0.95

Number of different ICD-9 diagnoses (mean ± SD)

13.62 ± 7.69

13.74 ± 7.74

13.37 ± 7.57

13.63 ± 7.70

13.21 ± 7.54

13.21 ± 7.59

Number of cardiovascular-related diagnoses (mean ± SD)

1.60 ± 1.10

1.71 ± 1.15

1.70 ± 1.15

1.79 ± 1.15

1.66 ± 1.07

1.59 ± 1.01

Medication use (%)

Aspirin

28.39

31.83

29.27

31.48

27.88

27.62

Clopidogrel

2.32

2.90

3.12

3.83

2.28

1.85

Warfarin

1.36

1.33

1.25

1.66

0.92

0.86

Alpha-blockers

4.99

5.04

5.50

4.30

5.24

4.97

Beta-blockers

40.82

43.54

45.64

47.42

44.46

41.56

Calcium channel blockers

56.13

59.86

61.55

60.50

60.12

62.00

Diuretics

26.63

27.82

27.89

26.65

24.85

23.47

Other anti-hypertensive agents

1.54

1.84

2.04

1.48

1.68

1.56

Nitrates

10.87

12.83

11.68

15.74

10.91

9.79

Statins

12.02

11.81

13.64

15.55

13.16

12.21

Fibrates

4.17

4.22

4.54

4.45

4.70

4.08

Digitalis glycoside

3.15

3.40

2.64

3.45

2.08

1.72

Antiarrhythmics class I and III

3.30

3.33

3.35

4.15

2.52

2.43

COX-2 non-selective NSAIDs

76.74

75.97

74.47

73.31

74.47

75.58

COX-2 selective NSAIDs

7.49

8.24

8.47

7.32

7.12

5.94

Number of different prescription drugs (mean ± SD)

24.46 ± 15.72

25.41 ± 16.34

24.48 ± 15.93

23.69 ± 15.46

23.62 ± 15.61

23.48 ± 15.32

Number of cardiovascular-related medications (mean ± SD)

3.53 ± 2.20

3.76 ± 2.32

3.79 ± 2.31

3.83 ± 2.32

3.65 ± 2.23

3.58 ± 2.20

Resource utilization (mean ± SD)

Number of A₁C measurement

0.04 ± 0.20

0.04 ± 0.19

0.05 ± 0.21

0.06 ± 0.24

0.05 ± 0.21

0.04 ± 0.21

Number of lipid-related lab test

1.12 ± 1.47

1.20 ± 1.48

1.42 ± 1.53

1.68 ± 1.59

1.47 ± 1.56

1.37 ± 1.57

Number of cardiac ultrasound examination

0.15 ± 0.42

0.17 ± 0.46

0.18 ± 0.49

0.34 ± 0.65

0.19 ± 0.47

0.15 ± 0.44

Number of outpatient visits

25.62 ± 20.22

25.40 ± 20.37

24.96 ± 19.83

25.21 ± 19.99

24.32 ± 19.51

24.38 ± 20.08

Number of emergency department visit

0.41 ± 1.01

0.49 ± 1.20

0.47 ± 1.09

0.48 ± 1.21

0.42 ± 1.00

0.43 ± 0.97

Number of cardiology outpatient visits

1.59 ± 3.67

1.73 ± 3.70

2.15 ± 4.08

3.01 ± 4.62

2.09 ± 3.96

1.69 ± 3.57

Number of cardiovascular-related physician visits

5.82 ± 6.75

6.08 ± 6.98

6.23 ± 6.85

6.35 ± 6.88

5.98 ± 6.84

5.77 ± 6.68

Coronary revascularization %

0.44

0.57

0.49

1.03

0.39

0.49

Number of hospitalizations

0.23 ± 0.63

0.29 ± 0.69

0.28 ± 0.66

0.27 ± 0.64

0.22 ± 0.61

0.25 ± 0.65

Number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular-related diseases

0.13 ± 0.43

0.17 ± 0.48

0.16 ± 0.47

0.16 ± 0.45

0.13 ± 0.43

0.14 ± 0.44

Number of hospital days

2.47 ± 16.01

3.01 ± 16.33

2.79 ± 14.54

2.46 ± 13.96

2.15 ± 13.53

2.57 ± 17.20

Number of cardiovascular-related hospital days

1.23 ± 8.39

1.69 ± 9.61

1.61 ± 8.82

1.34 ± 6.89

1.17 ± 7.32

1.35 ± 9.37