TABLE 1.
Characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus patients treated with and without Chinese herbal medicines.
| CHM group (n = 2,751) | Non-CHM group (n = 2,751) | p-value a | Standardized difference b | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 2,293 (83.4%) | 2,293 (83.4%) | 1.000 | 0 |
| Male | 458 (16.7%) | 458 (16.7%) | — | 0 |
| Age (years) | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 42 (31,53) | 42 (31,54) | 0.451 | 0.044 |
| 20–29 | 563 (20.5%) | 563 (20.5%) | 1.000 | 0 |
| 30–39 | 678 (24.7%) | 678 (24.7%) | — | 0 |
| ≥40 | 1,510 (54.9%) | 1,510 (54.9%) | — | 0 |
| Urbanization level c | ||||
| Low | 1,005 (36.6%) | 1,066 (38.8%) | 0.087 | 0.045 |
| Moderate | 958 (34.9%) | 884 (32.2%) | — | 0.057 |
| High | 786 (28.6%) | 800 (29.1%) | — | 0.011 |
| Insured amount (NT$/month) d | ||||
| 0–22,799 | 816 (29.7%) | 918 (33.4%) | 0.007 | 0.080 |
| 22,800–38,199 | 1,168 (42.5%) | 1,139 (41.4%) | — | 0.022 |
| ≥38,200 | 765 (27.8%) | 693 (25.2%) | — | 0.060 |
| Follow-up period (year), median (IQR) | 3.81 (2.30,6.23) | 3.44 (1.95,5.74) | <0.001 | 0.125 |
| Death | 164 (6.0%) | 262 (9.5%) | <0.001 | 0.134 |
| Interval from SLE diagnosis date to index date (year) | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 0.56 (0.13, 1.69) | 0.56 (0.13, 1.69) | 1.000 | 0 |
| 0–0.5 | 1,295 (47.1%) | 1,295 (47.1%) | 1.000 | 0 |
| 0.5–1 | 417 (15.2%) | 417 (15.2%) | — | 0 |
| 1–3 | 731 (26.6%) | 731 (26.6%) | — | 0 |
| 3–6 | 246 (8.9%) | 246 (8.9%) | — | 0 |
| 6–12 | 62 (2.3%) | 62 (2.3%) | — | 0 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Hypertension | 333 (12.1%) | 417 (15.2%) | 0.001 | 0.089 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 118 (4.3%) | 159 (5.8%) | 0.012 | 0.068 |
| Dyslipidemia | 193 (7.0%) | 258 (9.4%) | 0.001 | 0.086 |
| ESRD | 59 (2.1%) | 112 (4.1%) | <0.001 | 0.111 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 8 (0.3%) | 17 (0.6%) | 0.071 | 0.049 |
| Baseline drugs | ||||
| NSAIDs | 2,295 (83.4%) | 2,135 (77.6%) | <0.001 | 0.147 |
| Corticosteroids | 2,104 (76.5%) | 2,104 (76.5%) | 1.000 | 0 |
| Antiplatelet agents | 440 (16.0%) | 524 (19.1%) | 0.003 | 0.081 |
| Anticoagulants | 54 (2.0%) | 64 (2.3%) | 0.352 | 0.026 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 1989 (72.3%) | 1988 (72.3%) | 0.976 | 0.001 |
| Sulfasalazine | 166 (6.0%) | 194 (7.1%) | 0.127 | 0.041 |
| DMARDs e | 690 (25.1%) | 744 (27.0%) | 0.097 | 0.045 |
| DMARDs f | 200 (7.3%) | 253 (9.2%) | 0.009 | 0.070 |
a
Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data and chi-squared test for categorical data.
b
Calculation of effect size: mean for continuous data and percentage for categorical data.
c
Number of data loss: 3.
d
Number of data loss: 3.
e
Azathioprine, methotrexate, and leflunomide.
f
Mycophenolic acid, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide.
CHM, Chinese herbal medicine; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.