Table 3.
Baseline Characteristics of Initiators of COX-2 Inhibitor and ns-NSAID Use (Medicare Claims Data), United States, 1999–2002
| Covariatea | COX-2 Inhibitors (n = 35,575) |
ns-NSAIDs (n = 14,078) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | |
| Demographic factors | ||||
| Age ≥75 years | 24,079 | 75.2 | 11,496 | 65.3 |
| Female sex | 27,528 | 85.9 | 14,293 | 81.2 |
| White race/ethnicity | 30,583 | 95.5 | 15,808 | 89.8 |
| Utilization of health services | ||||
| >4 distinct generic drugs in previous year | 24,120 | 75.3 | 11,852 | 67.3 |
| >4 physician visits in previous year | 22,919 | 71.5 | 11,363 | 64.5 |
| Hospitalized in previous year | 9,804 | 30.6 | 4,591 | 26.1 |
| Nursing home resident | 2,671 | 8.3 | 996 | 5.7 |
| Prior medication use | ||||
| Gastroprotective drugs | 8,785 | 27.4 | 3,600 | 20.4 |
| Warfarin | 4,252 | 13.3 | 1,153 | 6.6 |
| Corticosteroids | 2,800 | 8.7 | 1,373 | 7.8 |
| Clinical conditions | ||||
| Charlson comorbidity score ≥1 | 24,343 | 76.0 | 12,521 | 71.1 |
| History of osteoarthritis | 15,549 | 48.5 | 5,898 | 33.5 |
| History of rheumatoid arthritis | 1,602 | 5.0 | 476 | 2.7 |
| History of peptic ulcers | 1,189 | 3.7 | 426 | 2.4 |
| History of gastrointestinal hemorrhage | 551 | 1.7 | 196 | 1.1 |
| History of hypertension | 23,332 | 72.8 | 12,363 | 70.2 |
| History of congestive heart failure | 9,727 | 30.4 | 4,328 | 24.6 |
| History of coronary artery disease | 5,266 | 16.4 | 2,603 | 14.8 |
Abbreviations: COX-2, cyclooxygenase 2; ns-NSAID, nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.
a Covariates were assessed during a 180-day baseline period.