Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of exclusive OTC dosage or prescription-strength (POM) NSAID users
| Characteristic | OTC (n = 44 484) | POM (n = 121 208) |
|---|---|---|
| Age at first dispensation | ||
| Mean (years) | 39.9 | 47.4 |
| Median (years) | 37.0 | 47.0 |
| 15–30 | 32.9% | 18.7% |
| 30–45 | 31.8% | 26.6% |
| 45–60 | 20.3% | 28.4% |
| 60–75 | 10.7% | 18.1% |
| ≥75 | 4.3% | 8.1% |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 56.7% | 53.0% |
| Users with at least one ALD [n (%)] | ||
| Any prevalent ALD | 8 407 (18.9) | 33 393 (27.6) |
| Stroke | 162 (0.4) | 583 (0.5) |
| Lower-limb arterial disease with ischaemia | 189 (0.4) | 957 (0.8) |
| Severe heart failure, severe arrhythmias, severe heart valve diseases, severe congenital heart defects | 302 (0.7) | 1 099 (0.9) |
| Severe arterial hypertension | 636 (1.4) | 3 066 (2.5) |
| Coronary artery diseases | 454 (1.0) | 2 069 (1.7) |
| Any incident ALD | 1 121 (2.5) | 5 256 (4.3) |
| Stroke | 38 (0.1) | 153 (0.1) |
| Lower-limb arterial disease with ischaemia | 28 (0.1) | 201 (0.2) |
| Severe heart failure, severe arrhythmias, severe heart valve diseases, severe congenital heart defects | 67 (0.2) | 327 (0.3) |
| Severe arterial hypertension | 113 (0.3) | 588 (0.5) |
| Coronary artery diseases | 76 (0.2) | 332 (0.3) |
| Users with at least one dispensation of cardiovascular drugs during follow-up (ATC code) | 23.7% | 36.7% |
| C01-Cardiac therapies | 4.9% | 8.0% |
| C02-Antihypertensive agents | 1.2% | 2.0% |
| C03-Diuretics | 4.3% | 7.3% |
| C04-Peripheral vasodilators | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| C05-Vasoprotectors | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| C07-β-Blockers | 7.2% | 11.3% |
| C08-Calcium channel inhibitors | 4.2% | 7.4% |
| C09-Agents acting on the renin–angiotensin system | 10.1% | 17.4% |
| C10-Serum lipid-reducing agents | 10.4% | 18.3% |
Abbreviations are as follows: ALD, chronic disease resulting in 100% coverage of medical expenses; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; OTC, over-the-counter preparations; and POM, prescription-only preparations. Any difference of >0.1% can be considered significant (P < 0.05).