Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and comorbidity status of the Full Cohort at baseline
| Low potency n (%) | High potency n (%) | Absolute standardized differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 264,947 (100.0) | 139,182 (100.0) | ||
| Age, mean (SD)a | 65.6 (10.9) | 64.5 (11.3) | 0.098 |
| Male sex | 118,262 (44.6) | 74,702 (53.7) | 0.181 |
| At least 5 medical outpatient visits | 170,234 (64.3) | 77,032 (55.4) | 0.182 |
| At least 1 hospitalisation | 59,591 (22.5) | 45,777 (32.9) | 0.234 |
| Myocardial infarction | 15,056 (5.7) | 18,899 (13.6) | 0.270 |
| Stroke | 7150 (2.7) | 5480 (3.9) | 0.069 |
| Hypertension | 110,508 (41.7) | 59,705 (42.9) | 0.024 |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 88,458 (33.4) | 47,005 (33.8) | 0.008 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 5446 (2.1) | 3338 (2.4) | 0.023 |
| Congestive heart failure | 11,337 (4.3) | 8830 (6.3) | 0.092 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft | 3589 (1.4) | 3189 (2.3) | 0.070 |
| Percutaneous coronary intervention | 7742 (2.9) | 14,089 (10.1) | 0.295 |
| Dispensation of loop diuretics | 16,612 (6.3) | 10,188 (7.3) | 0.042 |
| Dispensation of calcium blockers | 64,569 (24.4) | 32,192 (23.1) | 0.029 |
| Dispensation of beta-blockers | 77,669 (29.3) | 49,147 (35.3) | 0.128 |
| Dispensation of angiotensin receptor blockers | 35,741 (13.5) | 25,325 (18.2) | 0.129 |
| Dispensation of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors | 52,563 (19.8) | 36,030 (25.9) | 0.144 |
| At least 5 different drugs dispensed | 151,395 (57.1) | 84,503 (60.7) | 0.073 |
Comorbidity status, drug dispensations and medical utilization rates were assessed in the year prior to the cohort entry date. Absolute standardized differences are defined as the between group difference over the pooled standard deviation of the two groups
aAt the cohort entry date