Table 1.
Characteristics of the Matched Sample at Baseline by Treatment Group
| Characteristic | Controls | Statins | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 6,078 | 6,078 | |
| Enrolment year (%) | .797 | ||
| 1997–2001 | 34.7 | 35.5 | |
| 2002–2005 | 25.0 | 24.9 | |
| 2006–2009 | 18.2 | 17.9 | |
| 2010–2014 | 22.2 | 21.7 | |
| Demographics | |||
| Age at baseline (y, mean [SD]) | 76.4 (9.4) | 76.5 (8.9) | .555 |
| Age category (%) | .312 | ||
| 60–79 | 61.8 | 62.6 | |
| 80+ | 38.3 | 37.4 | |
| Gender (%, women) | 45.5 | 45.5 | .956 |
| Ethnicity (%) | .888 | ||
| White | 82.9 | 82.7 | |
| Nonwhite | 2.1 | 2.2 | |
| Undisclosed/unreported | 15.0 | 15.1 | |
| Index of multiple deprivations (%) | .978 | ||
| First quintile (least deprived) | 19.7 | 19.5 | |
| Second | 24.3 | 24.4 | |
| Third | 21.2 | 21.6 | |
| Fourth | 20.5 | 20.0 | |
| Fifth quintile (most deprived) | 14.1 | 14.4 | |
| Undisclosed/unreported | 0.20 | 0.20 | |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | |||
| Smoking status (%) | .845 | ||
| Never | 33.1 | 33.1 | |
| Former | 25.4 | 25.7 | |
| Current | 39.2 | 39.2 | |
| Undetermined | 2.3 | 2.0 | |
| Drinking habit (%) | .978 | ||
| Never | 13.7 | 13.9 | |
| Current, normal amount | 42.2 | 41.6 | |
| Current, unknown amount | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Current, heavy drinker | 8.3 | 8.4 | |
| Former | 2.4 | 2.5 | |
| Undetermined | 32.5 | 32.6 | |
| Body mass index (%) | .869 | ||
| 18.4 or less | 1.9 | 1.7 | |
| 18.5–24.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | |
| 25–29.9 | 21.1 | 20.5 | |
| 30 or more | 9.6 | 9.9 | |
| Unmeasured | 46.5 | 47.0 | |
| Total cholesterol level ([in mmol/L], %) | .643 | ||
| Lower than 6.2 (=240mg/dL) | 27.4 | 28.2 | |
| 6.2 or higher | 8.4 | 8.2 | |
| Unmeasured | 64.1 | 63.6 | |
| Health care utilization and measures of disease burden | |||
| Flu vaccination (%) | .514 | ||
| Received (in the previous year) | 48.4 | 49.4 | |
| Not received (in the previous year) | 35.1 | 34.7 | |
| Never received | 16.4 | 15.9 | |
| Number of drugs (%) | .256 | ||
| 0–1 | 21.1 | 20.3 | |
| 2–4 | 19.2 | 18.3 | |
| 5–9 | 26.9 | 27.8 | |
| More than 10 | 32.7 | 33.6 | |
| Charlson Index (%) | .947 | ||
| 0 | 30.5 | 30.2 | |
| 1–2 | 33.4 | 33.2 | |
| 3–4 | 14.8 | 15.1 | |
| 5 or more | 21.3 | 21.5 | |
| Nursing home visits ([previous year], %) | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.000 |
| Residential home visits ([previous year], %) | 0.4 | 0.3 | .375 |
| More than 4 GP consultations ([previous year], %) | 51.6 | 52.2 | .502 |
| Any hospitalization ([previous year], %) | 15.8 | 16.2 | .553 |
| Any geriatrics referral ([previous year], %) | 0.9 | 1.1 | .311 |
| Any cardiology referral ([previous year], %) | 1.4 | 1.5 | .445 |
| Revascularization procedures before MI ([non-MI reasons, previous year], %) | 0.3 | 0.3 | .862 |
| Diseases at baseline | |||
| Hypertension (%) | 40.0 | 40.7 | .437 |
| Diabetes (%) | 5.3 | 5.7 | .248 |
| Stroke/transient ischemic attack (%) | 8.1 | 8.1 | .973 |
| Congestive heart failure (all stages; %) | 43.7 | 43.8 | .869 |
| Atrial fibrillation (%) | 8.5 | 8.9 | .479 |
| Heart failure (%) | 7.7 | 8.1 | .479 |
| Asthma (%) | 11.1 | 10.6 | .414 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (%) | 9.1 | 8.9 | .704 |
| Chronic kidney diseases (stages 3–5; %) | 6.5 | 6.8 | .513 |
| Cancer (%) | 9.0 | 9.2 | .614 |
| Dementia (%) | 1.7 | 1.8 | .682 |
| Depression (%) | 14.2 | 14.7 | .470 |
| Mental health condition (%) | 1.2 | 1.3 | .742 |
| Epilepsy (%) | 1.4 | 1.4 | .938 |
| Hypothyroidism (%) | 6.6 | 6.7 | .856 |
| Incontinence (%) | 5.7 | 5.9 | .669 |
| Osteoporosis (%) | 5.3 | 5.3 | .903 |
| Osteoarthritis (%) | 26.3 | 26.7 | .608 |
| Falls (%) | 18.4 | 18.6 | .833 |
| Fractures (%) | 4.7 | 4.5 | .603 |
| Cirrhosis (%) | 0.2 | 0.3 | .563 |
| Drugs at baseline | |||
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (%) | 11.3 | 11.6 | .512 |
| Angiotensin receptors blockers (%) | 2.6 | 3.1 | .103 |
| Renin inhibitors (%) | 0.0 | 0.0 | .317 |
| Calcium channel blockers (%) | 6.6 | 6.9 | .406 |
| Beta-blockers | 9.6 | 10.6 | .071 |
| Alpha-adrenoceptor blocking drugs (%) | 2.1 | 2.2 | .573 |
| Centrally acting antihypertensive drugs (%) | 0.2 | 0.2 | .835 |
| Nonloop diuretics (%) | 6.9 | 7.2 | .457 |
| Potassium-sparring agents (%) | 3.0 | 2.7 | .254 |
| Loop diuretics (%) | 16.5 | 17.2 | .265 |
| Antiplatelets (%) | 22.3 | 23.5 | .142 |
| Oral anticoagulants (%) | 2.6 | 2.9 | .315 |
| Nitrates (%) | 9.3 | 10.1 | .133 |
| Digoxin (%) | 3.3 | 3.5 | .726 |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs (%) | 0.9 | 0.8 | .493 |
| Insulin (%) | 1.6 | 1.5 | .770 |
| Sulphonylureas (%) | 2.8 | 3.1 | .286 |
| Metformin (%) | 2.9 | 3.0 | .708 |
| Other antidiabetic drugs | 0.2 | 0.2 | .414 |
| Corticosteroids (including topical and inhaled; %) | 26.6 | 27.3 | .347 |
| Estrogens (%) | 0.9 | 0.9 | .923 |
| Testosterone (%) | 0.0 | 0.1 | .414 |
| Proton pump inhibitors (%) | 16.6 | 17.8 | .071 |
| H2-receptor antagonists (%) | 3.9 | 4.0 | .852 |
| First-generation antipsychotic drugs (%) | 4.8 | 5.2 | .262 |
| Second-generation antipsychotic drugs (%) | 0.5 | 0.6 | .709 |
| Tricyclic antidepressants (%) | 5.2 | 5.0 | .622 |
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (%) | 4.0 | 4.5 | .209 |
| Other antidepressants (%) | 1.1 | 1.1 | .861 |
| Anticholinesterase drugs (%) | 0.3 | 0.4 | .876 |
| Cytochrome P450 inhibiting drugs (%) | 13.2 | 13.8 | .34 |
| Anti-Parkinson’s drugs (%) | 2.0 | 2.0 | .948 |
| Drugs for incontinence (%) | 3.4 | 3.7 | .303 |
Notes: GP = general practitioner; MI = myocardial infarction.