Skip to main content

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study cohorts

From: Dosage strength is associated with medication persistence with Ginkgo biloba drug products: a cohort study of ambulatory drug claims data in Germany

 

Number of patients (% of study group)

 

240 mg dosage strength

120 mg dosage strength

< 120 mg dosage strength

Number of patients

430

7,070

6,310

Medical specialty of initial prescriber

  General practitioner

182 (42.3)

3,230 (45.7)

2,978 (47.2)

  Neurologist

139 (32.3)

2,038 (28.8)

887 (14.1)

  Internist

56 (13.0)

950 (13.4)

896 (14.2)

  Other

53 (12.3)

852 (12.1)

1,549 (24.5)

Region of the initial prescriber

 Western Germany

299 (69.5)

5,499 (77.8)

5,500 (87.2)

 Eastern Germany

131 (30.5)

1,571 (22.2)

810 (12.8)

 Insurance membership status

 Retired

353 (82.1)

5,814 (82.2)

4,687 (74.3)

 Mandatory member

62 (14.4)

1,029 (14.6)

994 (15.8)

 Family member

15 (3.5)

227 (3.2)

629 (10.0)

Pre-treatment 180 days prior to index date with

 Antidepressants

181 (42.1)

3,136 (44.4)

2,395 (38.0)

 Antidementia drugs

54 (12.6)

782 (11.1)

505 (8.0)

 Nootropics

24 (5.6)

379 (5.4)

236 (3.7)

 Antivertigo preparations (betahistine/flunarizine/cinnarizine)

50 (11.6)

720 (10.2)

639 (10.1)

 Pentoxifylline

16 (3.7)

372 (5.3)

366 (5.8)

 Drugs for treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (cilostazol/naftidrofuryl)

16 (3.7)

189 (2.7)

181 (2.9)

≥ 5 different ATC third level drugs within 180 days prior to index date

357 (83.0)

5,850 (82.7)

5,023 (79.6)

Patients with follow-up prescription

227 (52.8)

3,202 (45.3)

2,154 (34.1)