Table 1. Selected Characteristics After Propensity Score Weightinga.
| Variable | Optum | MarketScan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ustekinumab (n = 2730) | TNFi (n = 12 673) | Standardized Differencesb | Ustekinumab (n = 6336) | TNFi (n = 37 996) | Standardized Differencesb | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 46.0 (12.6) | 46.1 (13.2) | −0.9 | 46.7 (12.9) | 46.8 (13.0) | −0.4 |
| Female | 1224 (44.8) | 5775 (45.6) | −1.5 | 2914 (46) | 17 549 (46.2) | −0.4 |
| Psoriasis diagnosis | 536 (19.6) | 2320 (18.3) | 3.4 | 1212 (19.1) | 7093 (18.7) | 1.2 |
| Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, mean (SD), No. of clinic visits | 6.8 (9.5) | 6.7 (10.7) | 1.1 | 6.9 (9.8) | 7.0 (12.0) | −1.1 |
| Treatment | ||||||
| UV irradiation | 249 (9.1) | 1156 (9.1) | 0.0 | 579 (9.1) | 3604 (9.5) | −1.2 |
| Topical therapy | 2059 (75.4) | 9603 (75.8) | −0.8 | 4526 (71.4) | 27 425 (72.2) | −1.7 |
| Nonbiologic DMARD | 709 (26.0) | 3240 (25.6) | 0.9 | 1595 (25.2) | 9457 (24.9) | 0.7 |
| Biologic DMARDc | 1169 (42.8) | 5215 (41.1) | 3.4 | 2693 (42.5) | 15 697 (41.3) | 2.4 |
| Cumulative oral steroids, mean (SD)d | 4.3 (12.9) | 4.3 (12.8) | 0.0 | 4.3 (14.2) | 4.3 (13.6) | 0.2 |
| Comorbidity | ||||||
| Diabetes | 351 (12.9) | 1653 (13.0) | −0.6 | 961 (15.2) | 5741 (15.1) | 0.2 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 925 (33.9) | 4340 (34.2) | −0.8 | 1924 (30.4) | 11 606 (30.5) | −0.4 |
| Hypertension | 854 (31.3) | 4006 (31.6) | −0.7 | 1996 (31.5) | 12 047 (31.7) | −0.4 |
| Heart failure | 33 (1.2) | 159 (1.3) | −0.4 | 72 (1.1) | 426 (1.1) | 0.1 |
| Coronary heart disease | 120 (4.4) | 550 (4.3) | 0.3 | 300 (4.7) | 1803 (4.7) | −0.1 |
| Stroke or transient ischemic attack | 28 (1.0) | 124 (1.0) | 0.5 | 46 (0.7) | 282 (0.7) | −0.2 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 34 (1.2) | 161 (1.3) | −0.3 | 77 (1.2) | 446 (1.2) | 0.4 |
| Thromboembolism | 6 (0.2) | 22 (0.2) | 1.0 | 28 (0.4) | 183 (0.5) | −0.6 |
| Obesity | 317 (11.6) | 1476 (11.6) | −0.1 | 548 (8.6) | 3304 (8.7) | −0.2 |
| Tobacco use | 217 (7.9) | 999 (7.9) | 0.3 | 349 (5.5) | 2129 (5.6) | −0.4 |
| Alcohol abuse | 50 (1.8) | 214 (1.7) | 1.1 | 54 (0.9) | 351 (0.9) | −0.8 |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 32 (1.2) | 156 (1.2) | −0.5 | 94 (1.5) | 622 (1.6) | −1.2 |
| Asthma | 162 (5.9) | 754 (5.9) | −0.1 | 279 (4.4) | 1686 (4.4) | −0.2 |
| COPD | 135 (4.9) | 649 (5.1) | −0.8 | 277 (4.4) | 1666 (4.4) | −0.1 |
| Depression | 374 (13.7) | 1703 (13.4) | 0.8 | 710 (11.2) | 4277 (11.3) | −0.2 |
| Chronic liver disease | 165 (6.0) | 750 (5.9) | 0.5 | 322 (5.1) | 1966 (5.2) | −0.4 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 57 (2.1) | 279 (2.2) | −0.8 | 92 (1.5) | 575 (1.5) | −0.5 |
| Long-term corticosteroid use | 20 (0.7) | 94 (0.7) | −0.1 | 24 (0.4) | 152 (0.4) | −0.3 |
| Long-term opioid use | 1526 (55.9) | 7100 (56) | −0.3 | 2802 (44.2) | 16 827 (44.3) | −0.1 |
| Combined comorbidity score, mean (SD) | 0.2 (1.1) | 0.2 (1.1) | 0.3 | 0.1 (1.0) | 0.1 (1.0) | −0.6 |
| Medication use | ||||||
| Noninsulin antidiabetic | 261 (9.6) | 1246 (9.8) | −0.9 | 679 (10.7) | 4089 (10.8) | −0.1 |
| Insulin | 108 (4.0) | 540 (4.3) | −1.5 | 233 (3.7) | 1402 (3.7) | −0.1 |
| β-Blocker | 276 (10.1) | 1289 (10.2) | −0.2 | 666 (10.5) | 4007 (10.5) | −0.1 |
| Calcium channel blocker | 237 (8.7) | 1108 (8.7) | −0.2 | 547 (8.6) | 3278 (8.6) | 0.0 |
| ACEI or ARB | 598 (21.9) | 2827 (22.3) | −1.0 | 1490 (23.5) | 8981 (23.6) | −0.3 |
| Diuretic | 447 (16.4) | 2128 (16.8) | −1.1 | 1097 (17.3) | 6638 (17.5) | −0.4 |
| Lipid lowering | 630 (23.1) | 2983 (23.5) | −1.1 | 1472 (23.2) | 8881 (23.4) | −0.3 |
| Antiplatelet | 53 (1.9) | 245 (1.9) | 0.1 | 151 (2.4) | 874 (2.3) | 0.5 |
| NSAID | 616 (22.6) | 2806 (22.1) | 1.0 | 1522 (24.0) | 8920 (23.5) | 1.3 |
| Health care utilization measures | ||||||
| Office visits, mean (SD), No. | 8.4 (6.4) | 8.3 (6.2) | 0.8 | 8.7 (6.4) | 8.8 (6.9) | −0.2 |
| Visits to emergency department | 326 (11.9) | 1520 (12) | −0.2 | 1188 (18.8) | 7103 (18.7) | 0.1 |
| Hospital admissions | 163 (6.0) | 736 (5.8) | 0.7 | 384 (6.1) | 2289 (6) | 0.1 |
| Hospital admissions, mean (SD), No. | 0.1 (0.4) | 0.1 (0.4) | 1.1 | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.0 |
| Unique medications, mean (SD), No. | 9.5 (6.3) | 9.6 (6.1) | −0.5 | 9.3 (6.5) | 9.3 (6.1) | −0.2 |
Abbreviations: ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blockers; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; NSAID, nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
a
Values are presented as number (percentage) of individuals unless otherwise specified.
b
A standardized difference of 10% denotes a meaningful imbalance in the covariates between the 2 treatment groups (23).
c
Biologic DMARD other than the index drug dispensed during the baseline period.
d
Prednisone-equivalent dose in milligrams.