Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort in 12 months before the index date
| TNF inhibitor | Methotrexate | Other non- biologic DMARD |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of treatment episodes | 5,856 | 12,554 | 7,578 |
| Demographic | |||
| Age, mean (SD), years | 52.5 (13.4) | 55.6 (13.3) | 55.2 (13.0) |
| Female | 4,274 (73.0) | 9,464 (75.4) | 5,838 (77.0) |
| Osteoporosis-related | |||
| Osteoporosis diagnosis | 840 (14.3) | 1,429 (11.4) | 1,133 (15.0) |
| Osteoporosis medication | 1,129 (19.3) | 2,372 (18.9) | 1,535 (20.3) |
| Prior fracture | 58 (1.0) | 95 (0.8) | 83 (1.1) |
| Bone mineral density test | 860 (14.7) | 1,655 (13.2) | 1,056 (14.0) |
| Parkinson’s disease | 10 (0.2) | 23 (0.2) | 8(0.1) |
| Alzheimer’s disease | 2 (0.03) | 4 (0.03) | 7 (0.09) |
| Prior fall | 71 (1.2) | 143 (1.1) | 115 (1.5) |
| Comorbidity Index, mean (SD) a | 1.63 (1.4) | 1.68 (1.6) | 1.74 (1.5) |
| Medication use | |||
| Recent use of oral glucocorticoids b | 2,149 (36.7) | 3,499 (27.9) | 2,183 (28.8) |
| Cumulative dose of oral glucocorticoids, mean (SD) c | 659.7 (1605.4) | 415.6 (1077.7) | 526.59 (1465.3) |
| Anticonvulsants | 381(6.5) | 673 (5.4) | 575 (7.6) |
| Benzodiazepines | 945 (16.1) | 1663 (13.3) | 1,184 (15.6) |
| SSRIs | 968 (16.5) | 1746 (13.9) | 1,184(15.6) |
| Proton pump inhibitors | 1,440 (24.6) | 2,455(19.6) | 1,702 (22.5) |
| Beta blockers | 686 (11.7) | 1,483 (11.8) | 968 (12.8) |
| Opioids | 2,515 (43.0) | 3,688 (29.4) | 2,725 (36.0) |
| Health care utilization | |||
| Number of physician visits, mean (SD) | 17.4 (13.3) | 17.3 (13.1) | 17.7 (13.6) |
| Hospitalizations | 939 (16.0) | 1,778 (14.2) | 1,302 (17.2) |
| Number of all prescription drugs, mean (SD) | 11.9 (6.4) | 10.8 (6.2) | 11.9 (6.7) |
TNF: tumor necrosis factor, DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug Data are expressed as number (%).
SSRI, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor
a
Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index (31); a score of 0 represents absence of comorbidity and higher scores indicate a greater burden of comorbidity
b
Use of any oral glucocorticoids in 30 days prior to the index date
c
cumulative dose of oral glucocorticoids in 12 months prior to the index date in milligrams