Table 1.
Selected baseline characteristics of the study cohort by initial statin exposure (n = 4040)
| Characteristic | Statin group (n = 1682) | Control group (n = 2358) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic factors (%) | |||
| Age, y | 74.1 ± 5.3 | 74.9 ± 5.9 | <0.001 |
| Sex (female) | 769 (46) | 1080 (46) | 0.96 |
| Rural residence | 238 (14) | 411 (17) | 0.005 |
| Socioeconomic status (high) | 943 (56) | 1287 (55) | 0.53 |
|
| |||
| Cardiovascular risk factors (%) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 557 (33) | 583 (25) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 1526 (91) | 2055 (87) | <0.001 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 540 (32) | 672 (29) | 0.014 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 750 (45) | 1109 (47) | 0.13 |
| Coronary artery disease | 1037 (62) | 1129 (48) | <0.001 |
| Heart failure | 787 (47) | 1078 (46) | 0.50 |
| Aortic aneurysm | 606 (36) | 847 (36) | 0.94 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1065 (63) | 1347 (57) | <0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation/flutter | 245 (15) | 387 (16) | 0.11 |
| Other dysrhythmia | 522 (31) | 535 (23) | <0.001 |
|
| |||
| Other comorbidities (%) | |||
| Chronic liver disease | 43 (3) | 90 (4) | 0.03 |
| Chronic lung disease | 670 (40) | 998 (42) | 0.11 |
| Dementia | 83 (5) | 181 (8) | <0.001 |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 259 (15) | 435 (18) | 0.011 |
| Systemic malignancy | 62 (4) | 145 (6) | <0.001 |
| Prior venous thrombosis | 188 (11) | 273 (12) | 0.69 |
|
| |||
| Health-care utilization and testing, n in past year | |||
| Family medicine visits | 13 ± 9 | 13 ± 10 | 0.51 |
| Cardiology visits | 2 ± 3 | 2 ± 2 | <0.001 |
| Endocrinology visits | 0.3 ± 1 | 0.2 ± 1 | 0.07 |
| Nephrology visits | 1 ± 2 | 1 ± 2 | <0.001 |
| Internist visits | 1 ± 3 | 1 ± 2 | 0.30 |
| Vascular surgeon visits | 2 ± 2 | 2 ± 2 | 0.02 |
| Cholesterol tests | 1 ± 2 | 1 ± 1 | <0.001 |
| Creatinine tests | 4 ± 4 | 3 ± 4 | <0.001 |
| Creatinine kinase tests | 0.5 ± 1 | 0.1 ± 1 | <0.001 |
| Transaminase tests | 2 ± 2 | 1 ± 1 | <0.001 |
| Hospitalizations (past 3 years) | 2 ± 2 | 2 ± 2 | <0.001 |
| Number of drugs (past 6 months) | 12 ± 6 | 10 ± 6 | <0.001 |
| Echocardiography (%) | 667 (40) | 788 (33) | <0.001 |
| Carotid ultrasound (%) | 435 (26) | 452 (19) | <0.001 |
| Coronary angiography (%) | 294 (18) | 162 (7) | <0.001 |
| Holter monitoring (%) | 167 (10) | 211 (9) | 0.29 |
| Stress testing (%) | 576 (34) | 560 (24) | <0.001 |
| Bone density testing (%) | 104 (6) | 85 (4) | <0.001 |
| Renal artery ultrasound (%) | 698 (42) | 969 (41) | 0.80 |
| Renal MRA (%) | 190 (11) | 79 (3) | <0.001 |
| Renal CTA (%) | 411 (24) | 533 (23) | 0.18 |
| Plain renal angiography (%) | 514 (31) | 500 (21) | <0.001 |
| Captopril nephrography (%) | 234 (14) | 337 (14) | 0.73 |
Data are mean ± SD or n (%). High socioeconomic status was defined by quintiles 3, 4, and 5. Numeric health-care data were rounded to the nearest integer. CTA, computed tomographic angiography; MRA, magnetic resonance angiography.