Table 3.
All-cause mortality and disease-specific mortality in GC users compared to age- and sex-matched controls.
| No of deaths* (%) | Follow-up (years) mean; median; sum | No of deaths per 1000 patient years | Unadjusted | Adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities** | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard ratio (95% CI) | p-value | Hazard ratio (95% CI) | p-value | |||||
| Death | Cases | 26550 (11.9) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 31.98 | ||||
| Controls | 12384 (5.5) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 14.05 | 2.26 (2.21-2.30) | <.0001 | 2.08 (2.04-2.13) | <.0001 | |
| Ischemic heart disease | Cases | 4243 (1.9) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 5.11 | ||||
| Controls | 3205 (1.4) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 3.63 | 1.40 (1.34-1.47) | <.0001 | 1.33 (1.27-1.39) | <.0001 | |
| Myocardial infarction | Cases | 1547 (0.7) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 1.86 | ||||
| Controls | 1368 (0.6) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 1.55 | 1.20 (1.11:1.29) | <.0001 | 1.20 (1.11:1.29) | <.0001 | |
| Heart failure | Cases | 5030 (2.3) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 6.06 | ||||
| Controls | 3139 (1.4) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 3.56 | 1.69 (1.62:1.77) | <.0001 | 1.55 (1.48:1.62) | <.0001 | |
| Pulmonary embolism | Cases | 762 (0.3) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 0.92 | ||||
| Controls | 265 (0.1) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 0.30 | 3.02 (2.63:3.48) | <.0001 | 2.54 (2.20:2.93) | <.0001 | |
| Stroke total † | Cases | 1462 (0.7) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 1.76 | ||||
| Controls | 1477 (0.7) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 1.68 | 1.05 (0.97:1.13) | 0.2087 | 1.09 (1.01:1.17) | 0.0258 | |
| Cerebral infarction | Cases | 510 (0.2) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 0.61 | ||||
| Controls | 509 (0.2) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 0.58 | 1.06 (0.94:1.20) | 0.3459 | 1.08 (0.95:1.23) | 0.2268 | |
| Intracerebral hemorrhage | Cases | 314 (0.1) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 0.38 | ||||
| Controls | 268 (0.1) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 0.30 | 1.24 (1.05:1.46) | 0.0098 | 1.24 (1.05:1.47) | 0.0106 | |
| Stroke UNS | Cases | 687 (0.3) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 0.83 | ||||
| Controls | 746 (0.3) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 0.85 | 0.97 (0.88:1.08) | 0.6239 | 1.04 (0.93:1.15) | 0.5021 | |
| Sepsis | Cases | 1006 (0.5) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 1.21 | ||||
| Controls | 482 (0.2) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 0.55 | 2.20 (1.98:2.46) | <.0001 | 2.07 (1.85:2.31) | <.0001 | |
| Pneumonia | Cases | 2280 (1.0) | 3.72; 3.60; 830294 | 2.75 | ||||
| Control | 1481 (0.7) | 3.95; 3.87; 881731 | 1.68 | 1.63 (1.52:1.74) | <.0001 | 1.63 (1.53:1.75) | <.0001 | |
*The cause of death can be both the primary cause of death and contributing causes of death, so the total number of deaths is therefore higher than the total deaths due to disease-specific deaths.
**Hazard ratio adjusted for comorbidities (diabetes ICD-10 code E10-E14, deep vein thrombosis I80-I82, pulmonary embolism I26, hypertension (more than 2 dispensed prescription of antihypertensive drug), stroke I64, ischemic heart disease I20-I25, heart failure I50, pneumonia J12-J18, malignant neoplasm C00-C97).
†Cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, and stroke not specified as hemorrhage or infarction.
CI, confidence interval; GC, glucocorticoid; UNS, unspecified; ICD, International Classification of Disease.