Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the study sample.
| Characteristic | People with Alzheimer’s disease (n = 16,603) | People without Alzheimer’s (n = 16,603) |
| Age, mean (range) | 79.2 (65–101) | 79.2 (65–101) |
| Age groups, n (%) | ||
| 65–74 | 3483 (21.0) | 3483 (21.0) |
| 75–84 | 10,120 (61.0) | 10,120 (61.0) |
| ≥85 | 3000 (18.1) | 3000 (18.1) |
| Gender, n (%) | ||
| Men | 5566 (33.5) | 5566 (33.5) |
| Women | 11,037 (66.5) | 11,037 (66.5) |
| Diagnoses, n (%) | ||
| Cardiovascular disease* | 8490 (51.1) | 8920 (53.7) |
| Diabetes | 2121 (12.8) | 2114 (12.7) |
| Respiratory disease∧ | 1278 (7.7) | 1604 (9.7) |
| Cancer | 785 (4.7) | 1065 (6.4) |
| Modified Comorbidity Index, mean (range) | 0.7 (0–6) | 0.7 (0–7) |
| Modified Comorbidity Index groups, n (%) | ||
| 0 | 9343 (56.3) | 8725 (52.6) |
| 1 | 4543 (27.4) | 4705 (28.3) |
| ≥2 | 2717 (16.4) | 3173 (19.1) |
| Exposed to DBI drugs, n (%) | ||
| Yes | 8540 (51.4) | 5529 (33.3) |
| No | 8063 (48.6) | 11,074 (66.7) |
| DBI score, mean (SD) | 0.45 (0.59) | 0.27 (0.49) |
| DBI groups, n (%) | ||
| 0 | 8063 (48.6) | 11,074 (66.7) |
| >0 to <1 | 5878 (35.4) | 4091 (24.6) |
| ≥1 | 2662 (16.0) | 1438 (8.7) |
| Died in 2006, n (%) | ||
| Yes | 971 (5.8) | 607 (3.7) |
| No | 15,632 (94.2) | 15, 996 (96.3) |
| Hospitalized in 2006, n (%) | ||
| Yes | 7356 (44.3) | 5547 (33.4) |
| No | 9247 (55.7) | 11,056 (66.6) |
| Length of hospital stay, mean (range) | 16.1 (0–365) | 7.1 (0–365) |
| Number of hospital admissions, mean (range) | 0.8 (0–40) | 0.6 (0–26) |
DBI = drug burden index.
Cardiovascular disease includes heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmias.
Respiratory disease includes chronic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.