Effects of inflammatory burden and exposure to glucocorticoids on development of lower gastrointestinal (GI) events and lower GI bleed in rheumatoid arthritis.
| Characteristic | Lower GI Events, HR (95% CI) | Lower GI Bleed*, HR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative inflammatory burden of ESR** | ||
| Low tertile | 1.00 (reference) | 1.00 (reference) |
| Middle tertile | 1.00 (0.59, 1.70) | 0.58 (0.20, 1.71) |
| High tertile | 1.14 (0.61, 2.12) | 1.12 (0.37, 3.43) |
| p = 0.87 | p = 0.36 | |
| Cumulative glucocorticoid exposure*** | ||
| Never exposed | 1.00 (reference) | 1.00 (reference) |
| Low tertile | 2.63 (1.46, 4.73) | 1.59 (0.68, 3.68) |
| Middle tertile | 3.40 (1.99, 5.79) | 1.18 (0.45, 3.09) |
| High tertile | 2.70 (1.42, 5.13) | 2.00 (0.82, 4.86) |
| p < 0.001 | p = 0.42 | |
↵* Excluding perforations.
↵** For cumulative inflammatory burden of ESR, low tertile: ≤ 15,000 mm/h, mid tertile: > 15,000 to ≤ 45,000 mm/h, high tertile: > 45,000 mm/h.
↵*** For cumulative glucocorticoid exposure, low tertile: ≤ 1500 mg, mid tertile: > 1500 to ≤ 7000 mg, high tertile: > 7000 mg. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) are shown in bold type. HR: hazard ratio.