Table 3. Subgroup analysis for new-onset liver cirrhosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients with CHC.
| Variables | MTX users | MTX non-users | Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)# |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incidence rate of liver cirrhosis (per 1,000 person-years) | Incidence rate of liver cirrhosis (per 1,000 person-years) | ||
| All patients | 11.2 | 35.8 | 0.40 (0.21–0.74)* |
| Age at the diagnosis of CHC (years) | |||
| 18–44 | 0.0 | 6.3 | NA |
| 45–64 | 8.7 | 32.2 | 0.34 (0.13–0.91)* |
| ≧65 | 24.6 | 56.7 | 0.50 (0.22–1.12) |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 10.8 | 33.8 | 0.44 (0.21–0.89)* |
| Male | 13.3 | 45.2 | 0.38 (0.10–1.55) |
| Comorbidity | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 21.3 | 95.2 | 0.32 (0.09–1.15) |
| Dyslipidemia | 11.3 | 40.3 | 0.57 (0.11–3.07) |
| Hypertension | 13.4 | 29.2 | 0.66 (0.22–1.98) |
| Concomitant medications | |||
| Sulfasalazine | 8.3 | 25.4 | 0.38 (0.15–0.99)* |
| Corticosteroids | 8.7 | 32.8 | 0.27 (0.12–0.61)* |
*p < 0.05.
CHC: chronic hepatitis C; CI: confidence interval; MTX: methotrexate; NA: not available.
#Adjusted for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension and medications such as sulfasalazine and corticosteroids.