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Table 3 Baseline patient characteristics associated with GC prescriptions

From: Half of UK patients with rheumatoid arthritis are prescribed oral glucocorticoid therapy in primary care: a retrospective drug utilisation study

Variable

Ever GC use (number, %)

Never GC use (number, %)

Univariate analysis* (odds ratio, 95 % CI)

Multivariate stepwise analysis (odds ratio, 95 % CI)

Baseline demographics

 

Age (decades)

  

1.02, 1.02–1.02**

1.17, 1.14–1.20

Gender (female)

5313, 68.32 %

6153, 70.25 %

0.94, 0.88–1.00

 

Current smoking (versus never)

2147, 27.61 %

2385, 27.23 %

1.04, 1.00–1.08**

1.22, 1.13–1.32

Baseline GC-associated comorbidities

 

Osteoporosis

427, 5.49 %

279, 3.19 %

1.42, 1.21–1.66**

 

Avascular necrosis

7, 0.09 %

4, 0.05 %

1.68, 0.49–5.78

 

Myopathy

14, 0.18 %

10, 0.11 %

1.35, 0.60–3.08

 

Diabetes mellitus

603, 7.75 %

699, 7.98 %

0.85, 0.76–0.95**

0.71, 0.62–0.82

Cardiovascular disease

364, 4.68 %

264, 3.01 %

1.22, 1.04–1.44**

1.25, 1.03–1.51

Hypertension

1842, 23.69 %

1754, 20.03 %

0.98, 0.90–1.06

 

Hyperlipidaemia

798, 10.26 %

830, 9.48 %

0.93, 0.84–1.04

0.86, 0.76–0.97

Peptic ulcer disease

382, 4.91 %

334, 3.81 %

1.13, 0.97–1.32

 

Pancreatitis

46, 0.59 %

43, 0.49 %

1.11, 0.73–1.70

 

Depression

1684, 21.65 %

1847, 21.09 %

1.11, 1.03–1.19 **

 

Insomnia

985, 12.67 %

865, 9.88 %

1.21, 1.10–1.34**

 

Psychosis

56, 0.72 %

52, 0.59 %

1.24, 0.84–1.81

 

Baseline inflammatory comorbidities

 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

540, 6.94 %

189, 2.16 %

2.74, 2.31–3.25**

1.63, 1.33–1.99

Asthma

1492, 19.18 %

925, 10.56 %

2.07, 1.89–2.27**

1.58, 1.42–1.76

Lower respiratory tract infection

1717, 22.08 %

1342, 15.44 %

1.47, 1.35–1.59**

1.22, 1.11–1.34

Inflammatory bowel disease

78, 1.11 %

63, 0.72 %

1.35, 0.96–1.89

 

Cutaneous lupus

13, 0.17 %

11, 0.13 %

1.30, 0.58–2.93

 

Cutaneous vasculitis

6, 0.08 %

0, 0.00 %

1

 

Atopic eczema

1084, 13.94 %

1127, 12.87 %

1.10, 1.00–1.20**

 

Baseline DMARD use

 

Methotrexate

465, 5.98 %

501, 5.72 %

1.07, 0.93–1.22

0.80, 0.66–0.97

Sulfasalazine

468, 6.02 %

581, 6.63 %

0.91, 0.80–1.03

0.69, 0.58–0.83

Hydroxychloroquine

259, 3.33 %

256, 2.92 %

1.20, 1.00–1.43**

 

Leflunomide

105, 1.35 %

71, 0.81 %

1.83, 1.35–2.49**

1.75, 1.18–2.59

Other DMARDs***

277, 3.56 %

151, 1.72 %

2.06, 1.68–2.52**

1.68, 1.28–2.19

  1. GC glucocorticoid, DMARDs disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, CI confidence interval
  2. *Adjusted for age and gender
  3. **Significant in univariate analysis
  4. ***Other DMARDs include gold, penicillamine, cyclosporine, chloroquine and azathioprine