Cardiovascular medication changes over 5 years in a national data linkage study: implications for risk prediction models

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline characteristics for New Zealand residents aged 30–74 years at December 31, 2006 without prior CVD or heart failure hospitalizations

Baseline characteristics		n (%)
Total		1,766,584
Sexa	Male	792,348 (45)
	Female	974,147 (55)
Ageb	30–44 years	740,009 (42)
	45–59 years	663,961 (38)
	60–74 years	362,614 (21)
Ethnicity	Maori	171,196 (10)
	Pacific	81,532 (5)
	Chinese	39,934 (2)
	Indian	42,642 (2)
	Other Asian	35,462 (2)
	Other (mainly European)	1,395,818 (79)

Notes:

a The male and female totals exclude 89 people included in the study population whose sex could not be identified in the available New Zealand health databases.

b The proportions of the study population corresponding to each 15-year age band do not add to 100% due to rounding.

Abbreviation: CVD, cardiovascular disease.

Figure 1 CVD medications dispensed at baseline (July 1, 2006–December 31, 2006) and follow-up (January 1, 2007–December 31, 2011) among 1,766,584 New Zealand residents aged 30–74 years on December 31, 2006 without a history of CVD or heart failure.

Notes: The APL, BPL, and LL medication categories were not exclusive (eg, a person included in the LL category could also be included in the BPL and/or APL categories). For each medication category, dispensing was recorded if it occurred 1) at least once between July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006 (ie, baseline), or 2) at least once in each 6-month period between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2011 (ie, follow-up). During follow-up, only those 6-month periods where each New Zealand resident was alive and CVD event-free for the entire 6 months were included. The proportions of person years of follow-up where nil CVD medication or any CVD medications were dispensed do not add to 100% due to rounding.
Abbreviations: APL, antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant medications; BPL, blood pressure lowering medications; LL, lipid lowering medications; CVD, cardiovascular disease.

Table 2 CVD medications dispensed during follow-up (January 1, 2007–December 31, 2011) according to baseline dispensing (July 1, 2006–December 31, 2006) among 1,766,584 New Zealand residents aged 30–74 years on December 31, 2006 without prior CVD or heart failure hospitalizations

People dispensed medications at baseline		Person-time during follow-up
Medications dispenseda	n (% of total population)	Total person-years (mean person years; SD)	Person years dispensed medications (not exclusive)b %
			Any	LL	BPL	APL
LL only	48,960 (3)	236,585 (4.8; 0.7)	82	80	16	14
BPL only	161,459 (9)	764,416 (4.7; 0.9)	88	14	87	13
APL only	12,826 (1)	59,581 (4.6; 1.1)	58	13	17	52
LL and BPL only	60,952 (3)	285,140 (4.7; 1.0)	95	88	93	23
LL and APL only	10,641 (1)	49,689 (4.7; 1.0)	89	84	23	77
BPL and APL only	32,497 (2)	146,264 (4.5; 1.2)	93	20	91	81
LL, BPL, and APL	46,087 (3)	206,850 (4.5; 1.3)	94	89	92	86

Notes:

a The medication categories considered at baseline were exclusive (eg, a person included in the LL and BPL category was not dispensed APL medications).

b The APL, BPL, and LL medication categories considered during the follow-up period were not exclusive (eg, a person included in the LL category could also be included in the BPL and/or APL categories).

Abbreviations: APL, antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant medications; BPL, blood pressure lowering medications; LL, lipid lowering medications; SD, standard deviation; CVD, cardiovascular disease.