Baseline characteristics of statin initiators and noninitiators in the propensity score–matched and unmatched cohorts. Values are % unless otherwise specified.
| Baseline Characteristics | Propensity Score–matched | Unmatched* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statin Initiators, n = 2305 | Noninitiators, n = 2305 | Statin Initiators, n = 2863 | Noninitiators, n = 2863 | |
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, yrs, mean | 64.4 | 64.8 | 64.3 | 56.0 |
| Sex, % male | 23.9 | 23.1 | 24.4 | 16.3 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean | 27.6 | 27.6 | 27.5 | 26.0 |
| SARD | ||||
| SLE | 47.4 | 49.3 | 47.7 | 51.1 |
| SSc | 11.8 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 12.2 |
| Sjögren syndrome | 30.1 | 28.7 | 29.6 | 26.5 |
| DM/PM | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| AAV | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 |
| Behçet disease | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.8 |
| Disease duration, yrs, mean | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 10.7 |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Current smokers | 17.7 | 18.1 | 19.2 | 21.2 |
| Alcohol use | ||||
| Current alcohol use | 70.6 | 69.9 | 69.4 | 74.3 |
| Medication use | ||||
| Aspirin† | 36.1 | 34.3 | 40.2 | 8.4 |
| Antihypertensive medications | 70.2 | 71.8 | 72.6 | 32.9 |
| β blockers | 22.9 | 23.1 | 25.9 | 10.0 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 32.5 | 32.5 | 32.9 | 13.8 |
| Nitrates | 8.4 | 8.5 | 10.6 | 8.5 |
| ACE inhibitors | 29.7 | 29.8 | 31.5 | 9.8 |
| NSAID | 29.8 | 30.4 | 29.9 | 28.6 |
| Loop diuretics | 13.5 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 6.5 |
| Thiazide | 21.0 | 21.3 | 20.5 | 9.4 |
| Potassium-sparing diuretics | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 2.3 |
| Insulin | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.5 |
| Anticoagulants | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 4.2 |
| Glucocorticoids | 27.7 | 27.3 | 29.4 | 23.8 |
| Comorbid conditions | ||||
| Myocardial infarction | 6.5 | 5.7 | 9.0 | 0.5 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 16.1 | 15.0 | 19.8 | 2.7 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
| Valvular heart disease | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| Stroke | 6.8 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 1.2 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2.2 |
| Hypertension | 55.0 | 56.7 | 53.9 | 25.8 |
| Congestive heart failure | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 1.7 |
| Angina | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 2.0 |
| Other cardiovascular disease | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 0.8 |
| Venous thromboembolism | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.1 |
| Varicose veins | 12.5 | 12.9 | 11.9 | 10.2 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 18.9 | 18.7 | 20.3 | 26.5 |
| Diabetes | 17.7 | 18.8 | 17.5 | 3.3 |
| CKD, ≥ stage 3 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 5.0 |
| Liver disease | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.8 |
| Cancer | 11.4 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 9.7 |
| COPD | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 3.7 |
| Infection/pneumonia | 11.6 | 11.4 | 12.1 | 9.0 |
| Depression | 18.8 | 18.7 | 18.5 | 17.2 |
| Healthcare use** | ||||
| General practice visits | 15.6 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 11.4 |
| Specialist referrals | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Hospitalizations | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Laboratory measurements | ||||
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl, mean | 233.5 | 233.8 | 235.6 | 205.5 |
↵* A noninitiator was randomly selected for each statin initiator within 1-year accrual blocks.
↵† Over 95% of aspirin users were taking cardiovascular dosages of aspirin.
↵** Frequency during the past 2 years. BMI: body mass index; SARD: systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SSc: systemic sclerosis; ANCA: antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; ACE: angiotensin-converting enzyme; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; CKD: chronic kidney disease; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DM: dermatomyositis; PM: polymyositis; AAV: ANCA-associated vasculitis.