Association between lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to clinically recommended levels and CV outcomes for each cohort.
| Group/Independent Variable | HR (95% CI) | p |
|---|---|---|
| RA Plus General Controls, n = 8033 | ||
| RA (vs controls) | 1.76 (1.43–2.17) | < 0.0001 |
| Lowered LDL-C (vs not lowered) | 0.71 (0.57–0.89) | 0.003 |
| Age | 1.07 (1.06–1.08) | < 0.0001 |
| Male sex (vs female) | 1.34 (1.10–1.64) | 0.004 |
| HTN (yes vs no) | 1.41 (1.03–1.64) | 0.031 |
| Anti-HTN medications (yes vs no) | 1.45 (0.96–2.20) | 0.078 |
| Smoker (vs nonsmoker) | 1.53 (1.10–2.13) | 0.011 |
| Unknown smoking status (vs nonsmoker) | 1.21 (0.88–1.68) | 0.248 |
| Diabetes (yes vs no) | 1.56 (1.28–1.90) | < 0.0001 |
| Interaction term of RA × lowered LDL-C | — | 0.852 |
| RA Plus OA Controls, n = 4300 | ||
| RA (vs controls) | 1.13 (0.92–1.40) | 0.245 |
| Lowered LDL-C (vs not lowered) | 0.50 (0.43–0.58) | < 0.0001 |
| Age | 1.06 (1.05–1.07) | < 0.0001 |
| Male sex (vs female) | 1.30 (1.04–1.64) | 0.024 |
| HTN (yes vs no) | 1.32 (0.93–1.88) | 0.125 |
| Anti-HTN medications (yes vs no) | 1.58 (1.00–2.48) | 0.049 |
| Smoker (vs nonsmoker) | 1.61 (1.12–2.32) | 0.011 |
| Unknown smoking status (vs nonsmoker) | 0.92 (0.61–1.40) | 0.698 |
| Diabetes (yes vs no) | 1.32 (1.07–1.64) | 0.011 |
| Interaction term of RA × lowered LDL-C | — | 0.610 |
CV: cardiovascular; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; OA: osteoarthritis; HTN: hypertension.