Baseline characteristics according to treatment groups
| All(n=400) | Dead before discharge (n=31) | LTOAC (n=274) | No LTOAC (n=95) | |
| Age, mean (SD), years | 78.7 (11.0) | 83.8 (7.2) | 78.1 (11.4) | 78.7 (10.6) |
| Men | 193 (48.3) | 12 (38.7) | 122 (44.5) | 59 (62.1) |
| Medical history | ||||
| Hypertension | 317 (79.3) | 20 (64.5) | 216 (78.8) | 81 (85.3) |
| Diabetes | 87 (21.8) | 11 (35.5) | 49 (17.9) | 27 (28.4) |
| Dyslipidaemia | 168 (42.0) | 10 (32.3) | 119 (43.4) | 39 (41.1) |
| Former smokers | 116 (30.1) | 5 (17.2) | 83 (31.4) | 28 (30.4) |
| Current smokers | 32 (8.3) | 1 (3.4) | 22 (8.3) | 9 (9.8) |
| Regular alcohol consumption | 42 (10.6) | 1 (3.7) | 29 (10.6) | 12 (12.6) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 89 (22.3) | 5 (16.1) | 62 (22.7) | 22 (23.2) |
| Coronary artery disease | 68 (17.0) | 5 (16.1) | 42 (15.4) | 21 (22.1) |
| Peripheral artery disease | 30 (7.5) | 0 (0) | 20 (7.3) | 10 (10.5) |
| Congestive heart failure | 53 (13.3) | 4 (12.9) | 32 (11.7) | 17 (17.9) |
| Significant valvular disease or prosthetic heart valves | 38 (9.5) | 2 (6.5) | 31 (11.4) | 5 (5.3) |
| Type of stroke | ||||
| TIA | 35 (8.8) | 0 (0) | 28 (10.2) | 7 (7.4) |
| Ischaemic stroke | 335 (83.8) | 26 (83.9) | 240 (87.6) | 69 (72.6) |
| Intracerebral haemorrhage | 27 (6.8) | 5 (16.1) | 5 (1.8) | 17 (17.9) |
| Subdural haematoma | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 1 (1.1) |
| Subarachnoid haemorrhage | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.1) |
| Baseline NIHSS | ||||
| 0 | 65 (16.4) | 0 (0) | 50 (18.5) | 15 (15.8) |
| 1–4 | 111 (28.0) | 2 (6.7) | 83 (30.6) | 26 (27.4) |
| 5–9 | 76 (19.2) | 3 (10.0) | 60 (22.1) | 13 (13.7) |
| 10–20 | 102 (25.8) | 16 (53.3) | 56 (20.7) | 30 (31.6) |
| ≥21 | 42 (10.6) | 9 (30.0) | 22 (8.1) | 11 (11.6) |
| Examinations | ||||
| BMI, mean (SD), kg/m² | 25.6 (5.0) | 24.9 (4.3) | 25.5 (5.0) | 26.1 (5.3) |
| Systolic BP, mean (SD), mm Hg | 148.7 (26.0) | 145.3 (27.4) | 146.0 (23.6) | 157.8 (30.3) |
| Diastolic BP, mean (SD), mm Hg | 78.4 (15.6) | 76.5 (17.5) | 77.6 (14.5) | 81.4 (17.7) |
| Glucose, median (IQR), mg/dL | 106.0 (93.0–133.0) | 118.0 (107.0–142.0) | 104.0 (93.0–129.0) | 113.0 (96.0–142.0) |
| Haemoglobin A1C, median (IQR),% | 5.9 (5.6–6.5) | 6.1 (5.7–6.9) | 5.9 (5.6–6.4) | 6.0 (5.6–7.0) |
| Creatinine, median (IQR) umol/L | 86.5 (71.0–110.5) | 93.0 (70.0–118.0) | 82.0 (70.0–102.0) | 92.0 (74.0–119.0) |
| INR, mean (SD) (patients on VKA only) before baseline | 2.3 (0.6) | 2.3 (1.0) | 2.3 (0.6) | 2.3 (0.5) |
| <2 | 20 (34.5) | 1 (33.3) | 13 (36.1) | 6 (31.6) |
| ≥2 and ≤3 | 38 (65.5) | 2 (66.7) | 23 (63.9) | 13 (68.4) |
| Time-in-therapeutic range (pts on VKA), median % (IQR) before baseline | 62.5 (50.0–85.7) | 53.6 (50.0–61.9) | 62.5 (50.0–100.0) | 66.7 (33.3–85.7) |
| <50% | 15 (24.6) | 0 (0) | 9 (23.7) | 6 (31.6) |
| 50%–59% | 13 (21.3) | 3 (75.0) | 8 (21.1) | 2 (10.5) |
| 60%–69% | 7 (11.5) | 1 (25.0) | 4 (10.5) | 2 (10.5) |
| ≥70% | 26 (42.6) | 0 (0) | 17 (44.7) | 9 (47.4) |
| Glomerular filtration rate, median (IQR), mL/min/1.73² | 65.1 (49.3–81.0) | 52.4 (37.0–75.4) | 67.0 (52.6–83.5) | 60.0 (43.4–76.8) |
| <30 | 26 (6.5) | 4 (12.9) | 14 (5.1) | 8 (8.4) |
| 30–59 | 143 (35.8) | 13 (41.9) | 91 (33.2) | 39 (41.1) |
| ≥60 | 231 (57.8) | 14 (45.2) | 169 (61.7) | 48 (50.5) |
| NT-BPN, median (IQR), g/L | 1512.0 (560.0–3644.0) | 4152.0 (2225.5–7564.0) | 1499.0 (520.0–3270.0) | 1499.5 (497.5–3487.5) |
| Haemoglobin, mean (SD), g/L | 13.4 (1.8) | 13.1 (2.0) | 13.5 (1.7) | 13.3 (2.0) |
| Medication at discharge | ||||
| Antiplatelet | 72 (18.1) | – | 37 (13.6) | 28 (29.5) |
| Anticoagulant (both long term and very short term) | 294 (73.7) | – | 244 (89.4) | 45 (47.4)* |
| AVK | 44 (15.0) | – | 35 (14.3) | 8 (17.8)* |
| NOAC | 220 (74.8) | – | 186 (76.2) | 31 (68.9)* |
| Anticoagulant+antiplatelet | 24 (6.0) | – | 19 (7.8) | 4 (8.9)* |
| BP lowering therapy | 368 (92.0) | – | 255 (93.1) | 93 (97.9) |
| Lipid-lowering therapy | 284 (71.0) | – | 212 (77.4) | 62 (65.3) |
| Glycaemia lowering therapy | 87 (21.8) | – | 52 (19.0) | 26 (27.4) |
* Short-term anticoagulant.
BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; INR, international normalised ratio; LTOAC, long-term oral anticoagulant; NOAC, new oral anticoagulant; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; VKA, vitamin K antagonist.