Levothyroxine use and longitudinal changes in thigh muscles in at-risk participants for knee osteoarthritis: preliminary analysis from Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort

Mohajer, Bahram; Moradi, Kamyar; Guermazi, Ali; Mammen, Jennifer S. R.; Hunter, David J.; Roemer, Frank W.; Demehri, Shadpour

doi:10.1186/s13075-023-03012-y

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants before and after propensity score matching according to levothyroxine use

From: Levothyroxine use and longitudinal changes in thigh muscles in at-risk participants for knee osteoarthritis: preliminary analysis from Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort

	OAI participants without KOA (KL < 2)
	All participants			PS-matched participants
	Levothyroxine non-users, N: 2586	Levothyroxine users, N: 266	SMD	Levothyroxine non-users, N: 777	Levothyroxine users, N: 266	SMD
Demographic characteristics (included in the matching)
Age (years) [mean (SD)]	59.23 (8.99)	61.57 (8.37)	0.269	61.03 (8.86)	61.57 (8.37)	0.063
No. of women [N (%)]	1343 (51.9)	214 (80.5)	0.632	633 (81.5)	214 (80.5)	0.026
Race, non-white [N (%)]^a	425 (16.4)	15 (5.6)	0.350	50 (6.4)	15 (5.6)	0.033
Comorbidities and risk factors (included in the matching)
PASE score [mean (SD)]	170.96 (81.80)	154.94 (84.38)	0.193	158.54 (74.63)	154.94 (84.38)	0.045
BMI (kg/m²) [mean (SD)]	27.49 (4.37)	27.21 (4.10)	0.065	27.28 (4.61)	27.21 (4.10)	0.015
Abdominal (central) obesity [N (%)]^b	1586 (61.3)	203 (76.3)	0.328	596 (76.7)	203 (76.3)	0.009
Waist circumference (cm) [mean (SD)]	99.38 (12.37)	99.57 (12.41)	0.015	99.77 (12.77)	99.57 (12.41)	0.016
Alcohol use, ≥ 1/week [N (%)]			0.077			0.066
< 1 drink/week	1424 (55.1)	139 (52.3)		421 (54.2)	139 (52.3)
1–3 drinks/week	445 (17.2)	44 (16.5)		116 (14.9)	44 (16.5)
4–7 drinks/week	379 (14.7)	43 (16.2)		134 (17.2)	43 (16.2)
≥ 8 drinks/week	338 (13.1)	40 (15.0)		106 (13.6)	40 (15.0)
Smoking, current or past [N (%)]	1148 (44.4)	112 (42.1)	0.046	313 (40.3)	112 (42.1)	0.037
Diabetes [N (%)]	147 (5.7)	20 (7.5)	0.074	54 (6.9)	20 (7.5)	0.022
Malignancy [N (%)]	82 (3.2)	4 (1.5)	0.111	13 (1.7)	4 (1.5)	0.014
Charlson Comorbidity Score [mean (SD)]	0.35 (0.84)	0.33 (0.67)	0.014	0.34 (0.73)	0.33 (0.67)	0.002
KL grade [N (%)]	796 (30.8)	82 (30.8)	0.001	237 (30.5)	82 (30.8)	0.007
Knee injury [N (%)]	602 (23.3)	48 (18.0)	0.130	152 (19.6)	48 (18.0)	0.039
Medications (included in the matching)
Lipid-lowering drug [N (%)]	670 (25.9)	85 (32.0)	0.134	250 (32.2)	85 (32.0)	0.005
NSAID [N (%)]	324 (12.5)	43 (16.2)	0.104	127 (16.3)	43 (16.2)	0.005
Aspirin [N (%)]	78 (3.0)	10 (3.8)	0.041	31 (4.0)	10 (3.8)	0.012
Systemic corticosteroid [N (%)]	269 (10.4)	45 (16.9)	0.191	106 (13.6)	45 (16.9)	0.091
Antineoplastic agents [N (%)]	51 (2.0)	6 (2.3)	0.020	13 (1.7)	6 (2.3)	0.042
Baseline MRI biomarkers of muscle size and composition (not included in the matching)
Quadriceps CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	5202.00 (1427.10)	4627.49 (1170.77)	0.440	4508.31 (1183.60)	4627.49 (1170.77)	0.099
Quadriceps intra-MAT CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	151.36 (111.76)	150.44 (122.11)	0.008	144.84 (104.05)	150.44 (122.11)	0.049
Quadriceps contractile % [mean (SD)]	96.99 (2.29)	96.69 (2.54)	0.126	96.73 (2.30)	96.69 (2.54)	0.018
Flexors CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	3253.49 (859.67)	2905.94 (724.09)	0.437	2871.99 (710.08)	2905.94 (724.09)	0.047
Flexors intra-MAT CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	143.04 (120.18)	141.58 (107.98)	0.013	142.98 (139.48)	141.58 (107.98)	0.011
Flexors contractile % [mean (SD)]	95.56 (3.52)	95.19 (3.17)	0.109	95.06 (4.47)	95.19 (3.17)	0.034
Adductors CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	1166.13 (599.35)	1064.90 (551.98)	0.176	1047.39 (530.88)	1064.90 (551.98)	0.032
Adductors intra-MAT CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	59.33 (45.01)	52.63 (38.50)	0.160	54.96 (41.78)	52.63 (38.50)	0.058
Adductors contractile % [mean (SD)]	94.28 (3.91)	94.36 (3.65)	0.020	94.11 (3.94)	94.36 (3.65)	0.065
Sartorius CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	363.72 (133.49)	306.17 (94.80)	0.497	306.20 (107.88)	306.17 (94.80)	0.001
Sartorius intra-MAT CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	27.67 (22.88)	25.31 (19.06)	0.112	25.47 (21.14)	25.31 (19.06)	0.008
Sartorius contractile % [mean (SD)]	92.38 (5.28)	91.70 (5.52)	0.126	91.81 (5.70)	91.70 (5.52)	0.021
Total thigh muscles CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	9985.34 (2693.77)	8904.50 (2198.86)	0.440	8733.88 (2230.31)	8904.50 (2198.86)	0.077
intra-MAT CSA (mm²) [mean (SD)]	381.40 (260.58)	369.96 (241.73)	0.046	368.25 (264.78)	369.96 (241.73)	0.007
Total thigh muscles contractile % [mean (SD)]	96.10 (2.54)	95.81 (2.44)	0.116	95.76 (2.82)	95.81 (2.44)	0.019
Knee extension-specific contractile force (N/cm²) [mean (SD)]	7.22 (2.01)	7.11 (1.87)	0.107	7.27 (1.95)	7.11 (1.87)	0.095
Knee flexion-specific contractile force (N/cm²) [mean (SD)]	4.73 (1.88)	4.69 (1.69)	0.021	4.62 (1.75)	4.69 (1.69)	0.042

Data are presented in numbers of thighs
A significant difference for SMD was defined as ≥ 0.1 and is shown in bold. The results show that PS-matched levothyroxine users have similar baseline characteristics in PS-matching covariates, when compared to levothyroxine non-users (SMDs < 0.1)
BMI body mass index, CSA cross-sectional area, intra-MAT intra-muscular adipose tissue, JSN joint space narrowing, KL Kellgren-Lawrence, N number of thighs, PASE Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, PS propensity score, SD standard deviation, SMD standardized mean difference
^aRace of participants was categorized as white and non-white considering the small number of participants in each non-white race group
^bAbdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference of ≥ 94 cm in men and ≥ 80 cm in women on physical examination according to the International Diabetes Foundation criteria

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