Table 1.
Characteristics of cases with ischaemic heart disease who died and controls. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Cases (n=2266) | Controls (n=9064) |
|---|---|---|
| Median (interquartile range) age at index date | 80 (73-86) | 80 (73-85) |
| Median (interquartile range) No of months between diagnosis and index date | 20.3 (6.3-40.5) | 20.9 (7.9-40.9) |
| Women | 1003 (44.3) | 4012 (44.3) |
| Men | 1263 (55.7) | 5052 (55.7) |
| Median (interquartile range) Townsend score* | −0.8 (−2.7-2.3) | −1.2 (−3.0-1.8) |
| Drugs used before index date after diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease: | ||
| Any statin | 445 (19.6) | 2303 (25.4) |
| Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors | 1126 (49.7) | 3601 (39.7) |
| Aspirin | 1694 (74.8) | 6843 (75.5) |
| β blockers | 996 (44.0) | 4749 (52.4) |
| Calcium channel blockers | 969 (42.8) | 3848 (42.5) |
| Comorbidity before index date: | ||
| Diabetes | 367 (16.2) | 1024 (11.3) |
| Hypertension | 840 (37.1) | 3699 (40.8) |
| Congestive cardiac failure | 716 (31.6) | 1408 (15.5) |
| Myocardial infarction | 892 (39.4) | 2531 (27.9) |
Four controls per case were matched on age, sex, and year of diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease.
*
Townsend score is a proxy measure for material deprivation.