Outcomes
The primary outcome was arterial thromboembolic events, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) and extracranial arterial thromboembolism (ECATE). Extracranial arterial thromboembolism included arterial thromboembolic occlusion of an extremity or extracranial vital organ, including kidney, intestine, and spleen. The occurrence of ischemic stroke and MI was defined as the principal discharge diagnosis of hospitalization. The occurrence of ECATE was defined as the principal or secondary diagnoses of hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death. All-cause mortality was defined as withdrawal from the NHI program.19 The definition of cardiovascular (CV) death was the criteria of the Standardized Definitions for Cardiovascular and Stroke Endpoint Events in Clinical Trials by the FDA in the United States. Each patient was followed from the discharge date of index admission to the date of event occurrence, date of death, or December 31, 2013.