Table 1.
Selected baseline* characteristics of patients initiating hydroxychloroquine versus methotrexate after 1:1 propensity-score matching
| Variables | Hydroxychloroquine (n = 27,231) | Methotrexate (n = 27,231) | Standardized Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||
| Demographics | |||
|
| |||
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 74.27 (6.52) | 74.27 (6.46) | 0.00 |
| Female; n (%) | 21,344 (78.4%) | 21,412 (78.6%) | 0.01 |
| Race | |||
| White; n (%) | 22,833 (83.9%) | 22,871 (84.0%) | 0.01 |
| Black; n (%) | 2,540 (9.3%) | 2,499 (9.2%) | 0.00 |
| Others or Unknown; n (%) | 1,858 (6.8%) | 1,861 (6.8%) | 0.00 |
|
| |||
| Comorbidities | |||
|
| |||
| Obesity; n (%) | 3,074 (11.3%) | 3,054 (11.2%) | 0.00 |
| Hypertension; n (%) | 23,382 (85.9%) | 23,444 (86.1%) | 0.01 |
| Hyperlipidemia; n (%) | 19,724 (72.4%) | 19,686 (72.3%) | 0.00 |
| Coronary Artery Disease; n (%) | 6,585 (24.2%) | 6,571 (24.1%) | 0.00 |
| Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack; n (%) | 1,707 (6.3%) | 1,729 (6.3%) | 0.00 |
| Heart Failure; n (%) | 3,417 (12.5%) | 3,381 (12.4%) | 0.00 |
| Atrial Fibrillation; n (%) | 3,236 (11.9%) | 3,197 (11.7%) | −0.01 |
| Diabetes; n (%) | 8,799 (32.3%) | 8,847 (32.5%) | 0.00 |
| Renal dysfunction; n (%) | 4,087 (15.0%) | 4,123 (15.1%) | 0.00 |
|
| |||
| Medications | |||
|
| |||
| Oral glucocorticoids; n (%) | 17,818 (65.4%) | 17,800 (65.4%) | 0.00 |
| Cumulative prednisone-equivalent mg, mean (SD) | 487.09 (1,153.75) | 492.01 (1,001.94) | 0.01 |
| NSAIDs or coxibs; n (%) | 12,521 (46.0%) | 12,498 (45.9%) | 0.00 |
| Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers; n (%) | 6,336 (23.3%) | 6,395 (23.5%) | 0.01 |
| ACE inhibitors; n (%) | 8,870 (32.6%) | 8,868 (32.6%) | 0.00 |
| Beta Blockers; n (%) | 11,211 (41.2%) | 11,172 (41.0%) | 0.00 |
| Calcium channel blockers; n (%) | 8,499 (31.2%) | 8,514 (31.3%) | 0.00 |
| Diuretics; n (%) | 13,480 (49.5%) | 13,482 (49.5%) | 0.00 |
| Statins; n (%) | 13,611 (50.0%) | 13,602 (50.0%) | 0.00 |
| Antiplatelets; n (%) | 2,646 (9.7%) | 2,730 (10.0%) | 0.01 |
| Insulin; n (%) | 1,700 (6.2%) | 1,705 (6.3%) | 0.00 |
| Other anti-diabetic medications; n (%) | 4,893 (18.0%) | 4,911 (18.0%) | 0.00 |
|
| |||
| Surgical procedures | |||
|
| |||
| Coronary Revascularization †; n (%) | 230 (0.8%) | 228 (0.8%) | 0.00 |
| Other cardiovascular surgery; n (%) | 972 (3.6%) | 958 (3.5%) | −0.01 |
|
| |||
| Healthcare utilization | |||
|
| |||
| Emergency Department Visits; n (%) | 9,335 (34.3%) | 9,271 (34.0%) | −0.01 |
| Hospitalizations; n (%) | 5,161 (19.0%) | 5,098 (18.7%) | −0.01 |
| Number of Rheumatologist Visits, mean (SD) | 2.11 (2.02) | 2.11 (2.26) | 0.00 |
| Number of Cardiologist Visits, mean (SD) | 1.11 (2.79) | 1.12 (2.80) | 0.00 |
*
Baseline characteristics were measured during the year before and on the date of cohort entry. Additional baseline characteristics are reported in the Supplementary Table 3.
†
Coronary revascularization includes surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stenting.
SD, standard deviation; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Coxibs, selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors; ACE, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme.