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. 2022 Jun 11;20:268. doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03461-0

Table 4.

The odd ratios of treatments for patients with and without chronic fatigue syndrome in difference subgroup of age

Variable Control
(n = 6306)
CFS
(n = 6306)
Odds ratio
Age ≤ 34 y/o Crude (95% CI) p-value Adjusted (95% CI) p-value
No Yes No Yes
SSRI 1.98 (1.43,2.74)*** < 0.001 1.53 (1.08,2.15)* 0.015
 No 4758 1188 4386 1139
 Yes 300 60 667 114
SNRI 2.13 (1.23,3.7)** 0.007 1.39 (0.77,2.52) 0.272
 No 4966 1229 4852 1213
 Yes 92 19 201 40
SARI 1.82 (1.25,2.65)** 0.002 1.20 (0.8,1.8) 0.375
 No 4724 1203 4351 1173
 Yes 334 45 702 80
TCAs 2.17 (1.12,4.21)* 0.022 1.59 (0.78,3.22) 0.2
 No 4962 1235 4888 1225
 Yes 96 13 165 28
BZD 1.91 (1.62,2.25)*** < 0.001 1.61 (1.36,1.92)*** < 0.001
 No 2380 880 1411 697
 Yes 2678 368 3642 556
NDRI 2.29 (0.94,5.59) 0.068 1.34 (0.5,3.56) 0.557
 No 5025 1241 4973 1237
 Yes 33 7 80 16
Muscle relaxant 1.88 (1.1,3.21)* 0.021 1.69 (0.97,2.96) 0.065
 No 4912 1227 4797 1214
 Yes 146 21 256 39
Analgesic drug 3.94 (2.57,6.02)*** < 0.001 3.89 (2.49,6.06)*** < 0.001
 No 968 103 74 28
 Yes 4090 1145 4979 1225
Supportive individual psychotherapy 1.74 (1.23,2.45)** 0.002 1.13 (0.77,1.64) 0.531
 No 4839 1193 4645 1160
 Yes 219 55 408 93
Intensive individual psychotherapy 5.37 (1.56,18.47)** 0.008 3.34 (0.92,12.17) 0.067
 No 5047 1245 5014 1237
 Yes 11 3 39 16
Re-educative individual psychotherapy 1.85 (1.29,2.65)*** < 0.001 1.20 (0.81,1.79) 0.362
 No 4858 1199 4659 1165
 Yes 200 49 394 88
Stretching exercise 1.21 (0.86,1.70) 0.274 1.15 (0.81,1.63) 0.425
 No 4701 1183 4541 1175
 Yes 357 65 512 78
Therapeutic exercise 1.08 (0.84,1.39) 0.544 0.98 (0.76,1.28) 0.89
 No 4418 1117 4121 1112
 Yes 640 131 932 141
Brainwave examination, sleep or wakefulness 0.63 (0.24,1.64) 0.344 0.60 (0.22,1.65) 0.321
 No 4937 1237 4923 1246
 Yes 121 11 130 7
Variable Control
(n = 6306)
CFS
(n = 6306)
Odds ratio
Age 35–64 y/o Crude (95% CI) p-value Adjusted (95% CI) p-value
No Yes No Yes
SSRI 2.15 (1.85,2.50)*** < 0.001 1.57 (1.34,1.85)*** < 0.001
 No 1389 4557 1251 4274
 Yes 82 278 220 561
SNRI 2.23 (1.71,2.90)*** < 0.001 1.56 (1.18,2.07)** 0.002
 No 1443 4752 1411 4654
 Yes 28 83 60 181
SARI 2.19 (1.88,2.55)*** < 0.001 1.53 (1.3,1.81)*** < 0.001
 No 1356 4571 1232 4292
 Yes 115 264 239 543
TCAs 2.09 (1.57,2.79)*** < 0.001 1.66 (1.22,2.24)** 0.001
 No 1432 4765 1422 4691
 Yes 39 70 49 144
BZD 2.15 (1.98,2.33)*** < 0.001 1.71 (1.56,1.87)*** < 0.001
 No 474 2786 236 1872
 Yes 997 2049 1235 2963
NDRI 2.19 (1.46,3.3)*** < 0.001 1.52 (0.99,2.35) 0.057
 No 1465 4801 1449 4761
 Yes 6 34 22 74
Muscle relaxant 1.73 (1.38,2.18)*** < 0.001 1.46 (1.14,1.85)** 0.002
 No 1424 4715 1380 4631
 Yes 47 120 91 204
Analgesic drug 9.18 (7.27,11.59)*** < 0.001 6.83 (5.38,8.66)*** < 0.001
 No 410 661 20 82
 Yes 1061 4174 1451 4753
Supportive individual psychotherapy 1.82 (1.53,2.16)*** < 0.001 1.20 (1,1.45) 0.054
 No 1415 4617 1352 4453
 Yes 56 218 119 382
Intensive individual psychotherapy 4.11 (2.19,7.75)*** < 0.001 2.95 (1.52,5.73)** 0.001
 No 1469 4823 1465 4786
 Yes 2 12 6 49
Re-educative individual psychotherapy 2.01 (1.68,2.39)*** < 0.001 1.33 (1.1,1.61)** 0.004
 No 1423 4634 1376 4448
 Yes 48 201 95 387
Stretching exercise 1.43 (1.23,1.67)*** < 0.001 1.27 (1.08,1.49)** 0.004
 No 1360 4524 1315 4401
 Yes 111 311 156 434
Therapeutic exercise 1.42 (1.26,1.59)*** < 0.001 1.28 (1.13,1.45)*** < 0.001
 No 1256 4279 1150 4083
 Yes 215 556 321 752
Brainwave examination, sleep or wakefulness 1.08 (0.79,1.50) 0.622 0.98 (0.69,1.37) 0.889
 No 1411 4763 1412 4757
 Yes 60 72 59 78
Variable Control
(n = 6306)
CFS
(n = 6306)
Odds ratio
Age ≥ 65 y/o Crude (95% CI) p-value Adjusted (95% CI) p-value
No Yes No Yes
SSRI 2.98 (2.29,3.88)*** < 0.001 2.17 (1.64,2.88)*** < 0.001
 No 4557 1389 4274 1251
 Yes 278 82 561 220
SNRI 2.19 (1.39,3.45)*** < 0.001 1.46 (0.9,2.37) 0.121
 No 4752 1443 4654 1411
 Yes 83 28 181 60
SARI 2.29 (1.81,2.89)*** < 0.001 1.69 (1.31,2.17)*** < 0.001
 No 4571 1356 4292 1232
 Yes 264 115 543 239
TCAs 1.27 (0.83,1.94) 0.28 0.89 (0.56,1.42) 0.633
 No 4765 1432 4691 1422
 Yes 70 39 144 49
BZD 2.49 (2.08,2.97)*** < 0.001 1.72 (1.42,2.09)*** < 0.001
 No 2786 474 1872 236
 Yes 2049 997 2963 1235
NDRI 3.71 (1.5,9.17)** 0.005 2.33 (0.9,6.03) 0.082
 No 4801 1465 4761 1449
 Yes 34 6 74 22
Muscle relaxant 2.00 (1.39,2.86)*** < 0.001 1.75 (1.2,2.56)** 0.004
 No 4715 1424 4631 1380
 Yes 120 47 204 91
Analgesic drug 28.0 (17.77,44.22)*** < 0.001 27.1 (16.65,44.03)*** < 0.001
 No 661 410 82 20
 Yes 4174 1061 4753 1451
Supportive individual psychotherapy 2.22 (1.6,3.08)*** < 0.001 1.58 (1.11,2.24)* 0.01
 No 4617 1415 4453 1352
 Yes 218 56 382 119
Intensive individual psychotherapy 3.01 (0.61,14.93) 0.178 1.47 (0.26,8.18) 0.662
 No 4823 1469 4786 1465
 Yes 12 2 49 6
Re-educative individual psychotherapy 2.05 (1.44,2.92)*** < 0.001 1.28 (0.87,1.88) 0.207
 No 4634 1423 4448 1376
 Yes 201 48 387 95
Stretching exercise 1.45 (1.13,1.88)** 0.004 1.29 (0.99,1.69) 0.063
 No 4524 1360 4401 1315
 Yes 311 111 434 156
Therapeutic exercise 1.63 (1.35,1.97)*** < 0.001 1.48 (1.21,1.82)*** < 0.001
 No 4279 1256 4083 1150
 Yes 556 215 752 321
Brainwave examination, sleep or wakefulness 0.98 (0.68,1.42) 0.925 0.86 (0.58,1.27) 0.447
 No 4763 1411 4757 1412
 Yes 72 60 78 59

CFS: chronic fatigue syndrome; CI: confidence interval; *:p-value; *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001