Table 3.
The association of infections with incident giant cell arteritis
| Exposure | Unadjusted IRR (95% CI) | p Value | Adjusted IRR (95% CI)* | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herpes zoster infection | 1.24 (1.10 to 1.39) | <0.01 | 1.17 (1.04 to 1.32) | <0.01 |
| Herpes zoster infection and antiviral therapy | 1.16 (0.99 to 1.36) | 0.05 | 1.09 (0.93 to 1.28) | 0.27 |
| Any infection | 1.44 (1.34 to 1.56) | <0.01 | 1.26 (1.16 to 1.36) | <0.01 |
| No. of infections | ||||
| 0 | 1 (reference) | – | 1 (reference) | – |
| 1 | 1.38 (1.27 to 1.50) | <0.01 | 1.28 (1.18 to 1.40) | <0.01 |
| 2–4 | 1.88 (1.71 to 2.08) | <0.01 | 1.60 (1.44 to 1.77) | <0.01 |
| 5 or more | 2.94 (2.58 to 3.36) | <0.01 | 2.18 (1.90 to 2.51) | <0.01 |
| Test for trend | <0.01 | Test for trend | <0.01 | |
Adjusted for Charlson Comorbidity Index, alcohol use, smoking history, prior use of immunosuppressive therapies and prior use of oral glucocorticoids.
IRR, incident rate ratio.