Table 1.
Characteristics of 19 087 patients prescribed meloxicam in general practice in England. Figures in parenthesis are percentages unless otherwise stated.
| Characteristic | Male (n = 6174) | Female (n = 12 588) | Sex unknown (n = 325) | Total (n = 19 087) | P value† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (s.d.) | 58.6 (15.5) | 61.4 (15.7) | – | 60.4 (15.7) | < 0.0001 |
| Prior nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs | 2475 (40.1) | 5403 (42.9) | 100 (30.8) | 7978 (41.8) | 0.0002 |
| History of gastrointestinal disorder in last year | 1459 (23.6) | 3270 (26.0) | 58 (17.8) | 4787 (25.1) | 0.0005 |
| Concomitant use of gastro- protective agents | 1054 (17.1) | 2139 (17.0) | 39 (12.0) | 3232 (16.9) | 0.14 |
| Main indications | |||||
| Osteoarthritis | 1253 (20.3) | 3110 (24.7) | 71 (21.8) | 4434 (23.2) | – |
| Pain joint | 689 (11.2) | 1400 (11.1) | 47 (14.5) | 2136 (11.2) | – |
| Pain back | 553 (9.0) | 894 (7.1) | 31 (9.5) | 1478 (7.7) | – |
| Arthritis | 427 (6.9) | 988 (7.8) | 20 (6.2) | 1435 (7.5) | – |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 284 (4.6) | 960 (7.6) | 9 (2.8) | 1253 (6.6) | – |
| Neck pain | 106 (1.7) | 199 (1.6) | 3 (1.0) | 308 (1.6) | – |
| Cervical spondylosis | 119 (1.9) | 172 (1.4) | 5 (1.5) | 296 (1.6) | – |
| Injury | 105 (1.7) | 116 (0.9) | 6 (1.8) | 227 (1.2) | – |
| Sciatica | 69 (1.1) | 110 (0.9) | 3 (1.0) | 182 (1.0) | – |
| Myalgia | 47 (0.8) | 106 (0.8) | 5 (1.5) | 158 (0.8) | – |
†
Z-test or comparison of proportions as appropriate in male vs female groups.