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. 2018 May 11;5(2):327–340. doi: 10.1007/s40744-018-0112-8

Table 4.

Hazard ratios for various SAEs for each 1-g increase in cumulative glucocorticoid use over full follow-up by study cohort

Serious adverse events Hazard ratio (95% CI)a
US cohort (N = 4804)b UK cohort (N = 3973)c
GC-related AEsd
 Any GC-related event 1.08 (1.00, 1.16)e 1.03 (1.02, 1.04)e
 Blood pressure 1.04 (1.01, 1.07)e 1.00 (0.98, 1.01)
 Endocrine 1.05 (1.02, 1.09)e 1.09 (1.01, 1.17)e
 Bone-related conditions 1.03 (1.01, 1.04)e 1.02 (1.01, 1.03)e
 Muscle and tendon 1.04 (1.00, 1.07) 1.06 (1.03, 1.10)e
 Eye 1.04 (1.02, 1.06)e 1.04 (1.03, 1.05)e
 Glucose tolerance 1.05 (1.03, 1.06)e 1.02 (1.01, 1.04)e
 Gastrointestinal tract 1.00 (0.91, 1.10) 1.02 (0.99, 1.06)
 Skin 1.04 (1.02, 1.05)e 1.03 (1.01, 1.04)e
 Neuropsychiatric 1.03 (1.01, 1.05)e 1.01 (0.99, 1.02)
Other SAEs
 Adrenal insufficiency 1.05 (1.02, 1.09)e 1.00 (0.81, 1.24)
 Anemia 1.02 (1.01, 1.04)e 1.02 (1.01, 1.04)e
 Cataracts 1.03 (1.01, 1.05)e 1.04 (1.03, 1.05)e
 Cerebrovascular disease 1.01 (0.98, 1.04) 1.00 (0.99, 1.02)
 Depression 1.02 (1.00, 1.05)e 1.01 (1.00, 1.03)
 Diabetes 1.05 (1.03, 1.07)e 1.03 (1.01, 1.05)e
 Fracture 1.02 (1.00, 1.04)e 1.01 (1.00, 1.03)
 Gastrointestinal perforation 1.04 (0.98, 1.09) 1.09 (0.99, 1.20)
 Glaucoma 1.03 (0.98, 1.08) 1.02 (1.00, 1.05)
 Liver disease 1.03 (0.95, 1.12) NA
 Myocardial infarction 1.01 (0.99, 1.04) 1.01 (0.99, 1.03)
 Osteoporosis 1.03 (1.02, 1.05)e 1.03 (1.01, 1.04)e
 Serious infections 1.03 (1.02, 1.04)e 1.02 (1.01, 1.04)e
 Any AESI to tocilizumab 1.02 (1.01, 1.04)e 1.01 (1.01, 1.02)e

AE adverse event, AESI adverse event of special interest, GC glucocorticoid, NA not available, SAE serious adverse event

aRegression adjusted for covariates of age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and previous disease history

bMean (median) follow-up duration for the US cohort was 3.9 (3.1) years

cMean (median) follow-up duration for the UK cohort was 6.3 (5.5) years

dClasses of AEs included in the evaluation of the Glucocorticoid Toxicity Index [24]

eP < 0.05