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.