Table 1.
Characteristics of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Cases with Cardiovascular Events and Matched Controls
| Characteristics* | Cases (n=10,268) | Controls (n=29,969) | SMD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean, SD) | |||
| Overall | 74 (13) | 74 (13) | 0.013 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 59 (14) | 57 (13) | 0.133 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 75 (13) | 75 (12) | 0.022 |
| Sex (% female) | |||
| Overall | 63.6 | 63.7 | 0.003 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 91.0 | 95.4 | 0.178 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 62.1 | 62.3 | 0.005 |
| Charlson comorbidity index, mean (SD) | |||
| Overall | 1.20 (1.21) | 1.04 (1.03) | 0.147 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 1.52 (1.36) | 1.19 (0.91) | 0.285 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 1.18 (1.20 | 1.03 (1.02) | 0.138 |
| Cardiovascular Disease (%) | |||
| Overall | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.077 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.136 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.073 |
| Chronic Kidney Disease (%) | |||
| Overall | 14.3 | 11.8 | 0.075 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 27.3 | 18.1 | 0.220 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 13.6 | 11.5 | 0.063 |
| Medications (%) | |||
| Glucocorticoids | |||
| Overall | 32.0 | 27.0 | 0.101 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 49.4 | 36.0 | 0.275 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 31.1 | 27.1 | 0.089 |
| Cardiovascular medications | |||
| Overall | 53.6 | 42.9 | 0.215 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 43.4 | 29.0 | 0.304 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 54.2 | 43.5 | 0.214 |
| Anticoagulants (%) | |||
| Overall | 5.4 | 3.0 | 0.120 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 6.2 | 1.4 | 0.250 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 5.3 | 3.1 | 0.115 |
| Other DMARD use (%) | |||
| Overall | 15.9 | 14.6 | 0.036 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 19.2 | 17.1 | 0.055 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 15.8 | 14.5 | 0.034 |
| Oral DMARDs (%) | |||
| Overall | 16.0 | 17.4 | 0.038 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 22.4 | 20.0 | 0.060 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 15.6 | 17.3 | 0.045 |
| Biologic DMARDs (%) | |||
| Overall | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.024 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.028 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.027 |
| Healthcare Utilization | |||
| Number of hospitalizations, mean (SD) | |||
| Overall | 0.6 (1.1) | 0.4 (0.8) | 0.202 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 1.0 (1.8) | 0.5 (0.9) | 0.376 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 0.6 (1.1) | 0.4 (0.8) | 0.189 |
| Number of outpatient visits, mean (SD) | |||
| Overall | 27.2 (19.7) | 22.4 (15.5) | 0.280 |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | 36.2 (26.9) | 26.0 (18.9) | 0.457 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 26.8 (19.1) | 22.3 (15.3) | 0.266 |
*
Assessed within one year prior to matching/index date.
SMD, standardized mean difference; DMARDs, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Includes azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate, leflunomide, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, or biologic DMARDs including belimumab, adalimumab, infliximab, golimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, tocilizumab, abatacept,.
Cardiovascular medications include anti-hypertensives, cardiac glycosides, diuretics, anti-arrhythmics, and nitrates.