Table 1.
Characteristics of cases with atrial fibrillation and flutter and population controls
| Characteristic | No (%) of cases (n=13 586) | No (%) of controls (n=68 054) |
|---|---|---|
| Bisphosphonate exposure | ||
| Current | 435 (3.2) | 1958 (2.9) |
| Former | 289 (2.1) | 1180 (1.7) |
| Never | 12 862 (94.7) | 64 781 (95.4) |
| Current users: | ||
| New | 32 (0.2) | 156 (0.2) |
| Continuing | 403 (3.0) | 1802 (2.6) |
| No of prescriptions for bisphosphonates, current users: | ||
| 1-3 | 54 (0.4) | 240 (0.4) |
| 4-9 | 144 (1.1) | 606 (0.9) |
| ≥10 | 238 (1.8) | 1112 (1.6) |
| Covariates | ||
| Age (years): | ||
| ≤70 | 3573 (26.3) | 17 834 (26.3) |
| 71-80 | 4579 (33.7) | 23 034 (33.7) |
| >80 | 5434 (40.0) | 27 141 (39.9) |
| Previous hospital diagnoses: | ||
| Cardiovascular disease | 3582 (26.4) | 9121 (13.4) |
| Diabetes | 904 (6.7) | 2679 (3.9) |
| Renal failure | 211 (1.6) | 342 (0.5) |
| Pulmonary disease | 2270 (16.7) | 6816 (10.0) |
| Cancer | 1908 (14.0) | 7827 (11.5) |
| Liver disease | 1261 (9.3) | 3606 (5.3) |
| Hyperthyroidism | 842 (6.2) | 2574 (3.8) |
| Osteoporosis | 1209 (8.9) | 5329 (7.8) |
| Hip or wrist fracture | 2096 (15.4) | 9472 (13.9) |
| Current use of drugs (prescription): | ||
| Cardiovascular | 11 087 (81.6) | 41 816 (61.4) |
| Antithyroid | 788 (5.8) | 2273 (3.3) |
| Thyroid replacement | 897 (6.6) | 4128 (6.1) |
| Hormone replacement | 2717 (20.0) | 14 198 (20.9) |
| Oral glucocorticoids | 1783 (13.1) | 6030 (8.9) |
| Respiratory | 2923 (21.5) | 9913 (14.6) |
| Hospital diagnosis and current use of drugs (prescription): | ||
| Alcoholism | 131 (0.9) | 386 (0.6) |
| Hospital diagnosis concurrent with index date: | ||
| Acute alcohol intoxication | 44 (0.3) | 115 (0.2) |