Aim Evidence on antithrombotic therapy use in centenarians diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) is sparse. Our objective was to investigate a possible underprescribing in centenarians relative to younger cohorts of the oldest‐old. We assumed lower AF rates; and, within AF patients, lower use of anticoagulants in those who died as centenarians (aged ≥100 years) than in those who died aged in their 80s (≥80 years) or 90s (≥90 years). Methods The present study was a quarterly structured cohort study over the 6 years before death using administrative data from German institutionalized and non‐institutionalized insured patients (whole sample n = 1398 and subsample of AF patients n = 401 subclassified according to age‐of‐death groups [≥80, ≥90, ≥100 years]). AF, medication, stroke risk (Congestive heart failure; Hypertension; 2 × Age ≥75 years; Diabetes mellitus; 2 × Stroke; Vascular disease; Age 65–74 years; Sex [female] (CHA2DS2‐VASc)) and risk of major bleeding (Hypertension; Abnormal renal and liver function; Stroke; Bleeding; Labile International Normalized Ratio [omitted in the present analysis]; Elderly; Drugs or alcohol (HAS‐BLED)) were calculated. Generalized estimation equations were used to model the trajectories. Results Half a year before death (T1), AF rates were higher in patients aged ≥80 years (31.8%) and ≥90 years (30.6%) compared with patients aged ≥100 years (22.4%), whereas there were no significant differences between age groups 6 years before death (T0). Of all AF patients with AF at T1, 26.7% received anticoagulants; 11.2% vitamin K antagonists; 15.7% non‐vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; and 17.5% platelet inhibitors; yet 58.1% received none of these drugs. Centenarians received significantly fewer anticoagulants compared with the other age groups. Prescriptions of anticoagulants were not associated with CHA2DS2‐VASc with and without adjustment for HAS‐BLED. Conclusions The present findings highlight the need for more appropriate use of anticoagulation therapy in older patients, as well as for new treatment guidelines taking the heterogeneity of very old patients into account. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1634–1640.

Background Multidisciplinary management of obesity by primary care paediatricians, providing a promising approach to tackle childhood obesity includes cooperation with other health care professionals. However, facilitators for and barriers to multidisciplinary cooperation in ambulatory care are not yet well understood and are investigated in the present study. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional survey of 83% of German primary care paediatricians was conducted, using a questionnaire based on qualitative expert interviews. Frequency of paediatricians’ cooperation with external partners (i.e. nutrition counsellors; sports groups; interdisciplinary obesity centres; inpatient rehabilitation centres; and endocrinologists) was assessed. Individual and structural factors were associated with cooperation patterns. Missing values were addressed using multiple imputation. Results Out of the 6081 primary care paediatricians approached, 2024 (33.3%) responded. Almost half of the respondents (40.8%) stated that they disengaged in the field of obesity prevention due to perceived inefficacy. Lack of financial reimbursement for consultation was agreed on by most of the respondents (90.4%). Identified barriers to cooperation included: higher proportion of patients with migration background, lack of time and available services. A more comprehensive conception of the professional role regarding overweight prevention, higher age, female gender, higher proportion of overweight/obese patients and practice location in urban or socially strained areas surfaced as facilitators for cooperation. Conclusion Low-perceived self-efficacy in obesity management and insufficient financial reimbursement for consultation are commonly stated among German paediatricians. For cooperation behaviour, however, other individual and structural factors seem to be relevant, which provide indications on how multidisciplinary childhood obesity management can be improved.