Those who tested weekly had better results than those who tested less regularly.
Plainsboro, NJ (PRWEB) March 26, 2014
The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), on Monday published the results of the Self-Testing Analysis Based on Long-Term Experience (STABLE) study. It showed that self-testing significantly improves control of warfarin, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR).
Results of the study, supported by Alere, were originally shared at the 2012 Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The 2014 ACC meeting begins Friday, March 28 in Washington, D.C.
Results of the retrospective analysis were taken from patients’ self-testing results that occurred between January 2008 and June 30, 2011. More than 4,500 warfarin patients who self-tested weekly achieved a mean TTR of 74 percent for up to 2.5 years of evaluation. The study, notable for its size, produced the longest level of control ever observed in either clinical trials or in real-world settings, and showed that weekly self-testing is a major advance in the safety of warfarin. Dangerously high or low test results can increase patient risk of major bleeding seven fold and stroke four-fold.
Lead investigator Jack Ansell, MD, who is professor of medicine at Hofstra-North Shore/LIJ School of Medicine, spoke with AJMC about the results. The STABLE study compared patients who took weekly tests compared with those who tested less regularly, and found that those who tested weekly had better results than those who did not.
Gary Liska, with Alere Home Monitoring Inc, says Alere saw an opportunity with Medicare’s expansion of its coverage policy for self-testing, and decided to provide self-testing services to Medicare and practitioners.
Now in its 20th year, AJMC is the nation’s leading peer-reviewed publication devoted to the study of managed care.
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