Factors determining the maintenance dose of warfarin in Chinese patients
Open Access
- 1 February 1996
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine
- Vol. 89 (2) , 127-136
- https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/89.2.127
Abstract
Chinese patients are reportedly more sensitive than Caucasians to the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. We examined warfarin dose requirements and their determinants in 151 Chinese out-patients on stable maintenance dose of warfarin with international normalized ratio of 2 to 2.5. Mean daily warfarin requirement was 3.3 ± 1.4 mg, much lower than reported doses in Caucasian patients. The most important determinant was age (r=−0.43, pp=0.0001). There was a weaker association with body weight (r=0.20, p=0.01). Patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease tended to require a smaller dose than those with heart valve replacements (2.94 ± 1.24 vs. 3.69 ± 1.42 mg, p < 0.01). We confirm that Chinese patients require a smaller dose of warfarin for the same degree of anticoagulation. Age is the most important factor affecting dose requirement, although body weight and underlying disease also play a role.Keywords
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