Could Some Geriatric Characteristics Hinder the Prescription of Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly?

Table 1

Characteristics of the 142 old patients with AF.

	Mean (SD) or %	Median	Min	Max
% anticoagulation	61%
AVK	50%
LMWH	11%
% aspirin alone	16%
% association therapy
Sintrom + aspirin	24%
LMWH + aspirin	5%
CHADS2 (points)	2.4 (1.2)	2.0	1	5
% CHADS2 ≥ 2	73%
Institution (long term care)	31%
Number of classes of drugs	7.6 (3.2)	7.0	0	20
Ability to manage drug therapy
Alone	51%
Alone if prepared	33%
Not possible	17%
ISAR (points)	3.4 (1.7)	3	0	6
% ISAR ≥ 1	98%
% ISAR ≥ 2	84%
GDS (points)	0.8 (1.4)	0	0	4
% GDS > 1	33%
% fallers < 6 months	34%
% weight loss	34%
% albumin < 3.5 g/100 mL	25%
Hospitalizations	76%

AVK: antivitamin K drug; LMWH: low molecular weight heparin; ISAR: identification of senior at risk; GDS: geriatric depression scale.