Racial Disparity in the Prescription of Anticoagulants and Risk of Stroke and Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation...

Racial Disparity in the Prescription of Anticoagulants and Risk of Stroke and Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation..., Background: Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is proven to be effective at reducing risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, racial minorities with AF are less likely to be prescribed vitamin K anticoagulants (VKA)., Background: Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is proven to be effective at reducing risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, racial minorities with AF are less likely to be prescribed vitamin K anticoagulants (VKA). There is little information on the racial disparity in the prescription of the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and the associated risks of stroke and bleeding. Methods: We used data from the Northwestern Medicine Enterprise Data Warehouse – a joint initiative across 11 Northwestern Medicine affiliated healthcare centers within metropolitan Chicago, Illinois., admin,