Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of study patients by spironolactone use before and after propensity score matching.
| Before Propensity-Score Matching | After Propensity-Score Matching | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-User | User | p-Value | Non-User | User | p-Value | |
| Patient number | 13,884 | 785 | 1386 | 693 | ||
| Age, years | 63 ± 16 | 65 ± 15 | <0.001 | 65 ± 15 | 65 ± 16 | 0.814 |
| Gender, Male | 7738 (55.73%) | 440 (56.05%) | 0.862 | 767 (55.34%) | 380 (54.83%) | 0.827 |
| Monthly income, New Taiwan Dollars | 14,195 ± 14,667 | 12,283 ± 12,489 | <0.001 | 12,419 ± 12,580 | 12,397 ± 12,662 | 0.971 |
| Geographic location | ||||||
| Northern | 6661 (47.98%) | 317 (40.38%) | <0.001 | 532 (38.38%) | 279 (40.26%) | 0.436 |
| Middle | 2396 (17.26%) | 207 (26.37%) | <0.001 | 393 (28.35%) | 180 (25.97%) | 0.274 |
| Southern | 4452 (32.07%) | 248 (31.59%) | 0.813 | 439 (31.67%) | 223 (32.18%) | 0.855 |
| Eastern | 375 (2.7%) | 13 (1.66%) | 0.0968 | 22 (1.59%) | 11 (1.59%) | 0.852 |
| Comorbidities within 1 year before the index date | ||||||
| Hypertension | 9192 (66.21%) | 584 (74.39%) | <0.001 | 1033 (74.53%) | 514 (74.17%) | 0.859 |
| Diabetes | 5533 (39.85%) | 371 (47.26%) | <0.001 | 666 (48.05%) | 326 (47.04%) | 0.664 |
| Coronary artery disease | 2665 (19.19%) | 231 (29.43%) | <0.001 | 398 (28.72%) | 195 (28.14%) | 0.783 |
| Stroke | 1924 (13.86%) | 135 (17.2%) | 0.009 | 258 (18.61%) | 114 (16.45%) | 0.225 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 300 (2.16%) | 44 (5.61%) | <0.001 | 64 (4.62%) | 34 (4.91%) | 0.770 |
| Cirrhosis | 202 (1.45%) | 72 (9.17%) | <0.001 | 74 (5.34%) | 36 (5.19%) | 0.890 |
| PAOD | 267 (1.92%) | 23 (2.93%) | 0.049 | 38 (2.74%) | 21 (3.03%) | 0.709 |
| Cancer | 801 (5.77%) | 57 (7.26%) | 0.083 | 82 (5.92%) | 46 (6.64%) | 0.519 |
| COPD | 2015 (14.51%) | 166 (21.15%) | <0.001 | 298 (21.5%) | 144 (20.78%) | 0.705 |
| CHF | 1359 (9.79%) | 209 (26.62%) | <0.001 | 359 (25.9%) | 172 (24.82%) | 0.594 |
| Charlson comorbidity index | 3.1 ± 2.4 | 4 ± 2.6 | <0.001 | 3.8 ± 2.5 | 3.8 ± 2.5 | 0.826 |
| Anti-hypertensive drugs | ||||||
| ACEI/ARB | 6030 (43.43%) | 417 (53.12%) | <0.001 | 727 (52.45%) | 358 (51.66%) | 0.733 |
| α-blocker | 1393 (10.03%) | 90 (11.46%) | 0.195 | 158 (11.4%) | 79 (11.4%) | 1.000 |
| β--blocker | 4828 (34.77%) | 325 (41.4%) | <0.001 | 546 (39.39%) | 278 (40.12%) | 0.751 |
| Calcium channel blocker | ||||||
| Non-DHP | 1439 (10.36%) | 118 (15.03%) | <0.001 | 213 (15.37%) | 105 (15.15%) | 0.897 |
| DHP | 5544 (39.93%) | 349 (44.46%) | 0.012 | 628 (45.31%) | 311 (44.88%) | 0.852 |
| Other Diuretics | ||||||
| Thiazide | 2298 (16.55%) | 181 (23.06%) | <0.001 | 313 (22.58%) | 147 (21.21%) | 0.478 |
| Loop diuretics | 1623 (11.69%) | 246 (31.34%) | <0.001 | 343 (24.75%) | 179 (25.83%) | 0.592 |
| Miscellaneous | 670 (4.83%) | 62 (7.9%) | <0.001 | 106 (7.65%) | 50 (7.22%) | 0.724 |
| Antidiabetic medication | ||||||
| Sulfonylurea | 3943 (28.4%) | 277 (35.29%) | <0.001 | 479 (34.56%) | 241 (34.78%) | 0.922 |
| Meglitinide | 685 (4.93%) | 51 (6.5%) | 0.051 | 88 (6.35%) | 41 (5.92%) | 0.700 |
| α-glucosidase inhibitor | 998 (7.19%) | 79 (10.06%) | 0.003 | 147 (10.61%) | 70 (10.1%) | 0.723 |
| Biguanide | 3611 (26.01%) | 249 (31.72%) | <0.001 | 437 (31.53%) | 221 (31.89%) | 0.868 |
| Thiazolidinedione | 1013 (7.3%) | 70 (8.92%) | 0.091 | 111 (8.01%) | 63 (9.09%) | 0.401 |
| Insulin | 937 (6.75%) | 87 (11.08%) | <0.001 | 146 (10.53%) | 69 (9.96%) | 0.684 |
| Statins | 3724 (26.82%) | 245 (31.21%) | 0.007 | 430 (31.02%) | 216 (31.17%) | 0.947 |
| Aspirin | 3753 (27.03%) | 274 (34.9%) | <0.001 | 492 (35.5%) | 236 (34.05%) | 0.516 |
| NSAIDs | 2095 (15.09%) | 149 (18.98%) | 0.003 | 257 (18.54%) | 126 (18.18%) | 0.841 |
| NaHCO3 | 147 (1.06%) | 10 (1.27%) | 0.569 | 13 (0.94%) | 8 (1.15%) | 0.642 |
| Nephrology visit within 1 year before the index date | 1.4 ± 2.1 | 1.3 ± 2.1 | 0.243 | 1.3 ± 2 | 1.3 ± 2.1 | 0.994 |
| Propensity score | 0.05 ± 0.06 | 0.14 ± 0.17 | <0.001 | 0.1 ± 0.11 | 0.1 ± 0.11 | 0.999 |
| Outcome | ||||||
| ESRD | 2399 (17.28%) | 102 (12.99%) | 0.002 | 266 (19.19%) | 88 (12.7%) | <0.001 |
| MACEs | 1084 (7.81%) | 63 (8.03%) | 0.878 | 123 (8.87%) | 56 (8.08%) | 0.599 |
| Hospitalization for heart-failure | 423 (3.05%) | 36 (4.59%) | 0.021 | 76 (5.48%) | 29 (4.18%) | 0.243 |
| Hyperkalemia-associated hospitalization | 724 (5.21%) | 151 (19.24%) | <0.001 | 92 (6.64%) | 123 (17.75%) | <0.001 |
| Mortality | 2857 (20.58%) | 226 (28.79%) | <0.001 | 386 (27.85%) | 192 (27.71%) | 0.9448 |
| CVD death | 413 (3.0%) | 39 (5.0%) | 0.002 | 70 (5.1%) | 34 (4.9%) | 0.972 |
Abbreviations: PAOD, peripheral arterial occlusion disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CHF, congestive heart failure; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; DHP, dihydropyridine; NSAID, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; MACE, major adverse cardiovascular events; CVD, cardiovascular disease.