Pharmacological treatment, concomitant diagnoses and demographic data of all patients with acute aortic dissection in Sweden 2006–2015 registered after discharge from the primary hospitalisation
| Total (n=3046) | Medically managed (n=1932) | Surgically managed <14 days (n=1114) | P value | |
| Women | 1098 (36%) | 719 (37%) | 379 (34%) | 0.077 |
| Age (mean, SD) | 66 (13) | 69 (12) | 62 (12) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 1561 (51%) | 937 (49%) | 624 (56%) | <0.001 |
| Heart failure | 158 (5%) | 94 (5%) | 64 (6%) | 0.291 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 537 (18%) | 267 (14%) | 270 (24%) | <0.001 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 123 (4%) | 77 (4%) | 46 (4%) | 0.846 |
| Stroke | 235 (8%) | 80 (4%) | 155 (14%) | <0.001 |
| Kidney failure | 183 (6%) | 106 (6%) | 77 (7%) | 0.111 |
| Diabetes | 142 (5%) | 84 (4%) | 58 (5%) | 0.279 |
| Any antihypertensive | 2939 (96%) | 1852 (96%) | 1087 (98%) | 0.013 |
| 0 antihypertensive | 111 (4%) | 84 (4%) | 27 (2%) | 0.006 |
| 1 antihypertensive | 185 (6%) | 106 (6%) | 79 (7%) | 0.076 |
| 2 antihypertensives | 518 (17%) | 299 (16%) | 219 (20%) | 0.003 |
| 3 antihypertensives | 827 (27%) | 488 (25%) | 339 (30%) | 0.002 |
| ≥4 antihypertensives | 1405 (46%) | 955 (49%) | 450 (41%) | <0.001 |
| Beta blocker | 2741 (90%) | 1714 (89%) | 1027 (92%) | 0.002 |
| Calcium channel blocker | 2291 (75%) | 1525 (79%) | 766 (69%) | <0.001 |
| ACE inhibitor | 1552 (51%) | 975 (51%) | 577 (52%) | 0.480 |
| ARB | 893 (29%) | 579 (30%) | 314 (28%) | 0.268 |
| Diuretic | 2102 (69%) | 1366 (71%) | 736 (66%) | 0.008 |
| Statin | 1418 (47%) | 899 (47%) | 519 (47%) | 0.976 |
| Any anticoagulant* | 684 (23%) | 323 (17%) | 361 (32%) | <0.001 |
| Warfarin | 631 (21%) | 293 (15%) | 338 (30%) | <0.001 |
| NOAC | 62 (2%) | 32 (2%) | 30 (3%) | 0.051 |
| Any antiplatelet therapy† | 1424 (47%) | 869 (45%) | 555 (50%) | 0.010 |
| Acetylsalicylic acid | 1357 (44%) | 829 (43%) | 528 (47%) | 0.016 |
| Clopidogrel | 131 (4%) | 86 (5%) | 45 (4%) | 0.589 |
P values refer to comparisons between the groups of medically and surgically managed patients.
Data are presented for all patients and subdivided into medically and surgically managed patients, respectively.
*The sum of the number of patients on warfarin and on NOAC, respectively, may exceed the total number of patients on ‘Any anticoagulant’ as the patients may have switched from one drug to the other during the first year after discharge.
†This also applies for ‘Any antiplatelet therapy’‘ some patients were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy.
ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; NOAC, new oral anticoagulant.