Demographic and clinical characteristics of study cohorts at baseline. Values are mean ± SD or n (%).
| Characteristic | Ontario, n = 20,918 | Quebec, n = 6754 |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic | ||
| Age at diagnosis | 74.9 ± 6.3 | 74.5 ± 5.9 |
| Female | 14,136 (67.6) | 4369 (64.7) |
| Urban residence | 17,830 (85.2) | 5437 (80.5) |
| Clinical* | ||
| Osteoarthritis | 10,676 (51.0) | 2549 (37.7) |
| COPD/asthma** | 6538 (31.3) | 1755 (26.0) |
| Diabetes** | 4677 (22.4) | 1231 (18.2) |
| Coronary artery disease | 3737 (17.9) | 1571 (23.3) |
| Cancer | 3712 (17.7) | 1030 (15.3) |
| Extraarticular RA features | 3296 (15.8) | 1203 (17.8) |
| Osteoporosis | 1849 (8.8) | 1295 (19.2) |
| Acute myocardial infarction | 884 (4.2) | 243 (3.6) |
| Chronic renal failure | 715 (3.4) | 257 (3.8) |
| Acute renal failure | 540 (2.6) | 256 (3.8) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 296 (1.4) | 50 (0.7) |
| Charlson index | 0.6 ± 1.3 | 1.6 ± 2.1 |
| Prior joint replacement† | 2285 (10.9) | 328 (4.9) |
| High healthcare use at baseline†† | 3623 (17.3) | 2082 (30.8) |
| No. rheumatology visits‡ | 0.8 ± 2.0 | 0.8 ± 1.5 |
↵* Ascertained over the 3 years prior to baseline unless specified otherwise below.
↵** Ascertained over all available records (1990 onwards) in Ontario, but over 3 years in Quebec.
↵† Ascertained up to 10 years prior to baseline.
↵†† Defined by having at least 20 outpatient physician visits in at least 1 year of the 3 years before baseline.
↵‡ Ascertained over the 1 year prior to baseline. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; RA: rheumatoid arthritis.