Persistence with Statins and Onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study

In a retrospective cohort study, Gabriel Chodick and colleagues find a significant association between persistence with statin therapy and reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, but only a modest decrease in risk of osteoarthritis

Proportional effects of persistence with statins on reduction of risk for RA per 10% of follow-up days covered with statins.

<p>Squares indicate adjusted HRs, horizontal lines, 95% CIs. Mutually adjusted for all covariates listed in <a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000336#pmed-1000336-t004" target="_blank">Table 4</a>.</p

Incidence density rate (per 1,000 person-years) of RA and OA in study cohort, by age and sex, 1998–2006.

<p>Incidence density rate (per 1,000 person-years) of RA and OA in study cohort, by age and sex, 1998–2006.</p

Study population characteristics, according to PDC with statins, patients eligible for the RA analysis (<i>n</i> = 211,627).

a<p>Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data; χ² test for categorical data.</p>b<p>In the year prior to Index date.</p><p>GP, general practitioner; SD, standard deviation.</p

Study population characteristics, according to PDC with statins, patients eligible for the OA (n = 193,770).

a<p>Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data; χ² test for categorical data.</p>b<p>In the year prior to Index date.</p><p>CVD, cardiovascular disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; GP, general practitioner; SD, standard deviation.</p

Mutually adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for RA according to PDC with statins and baseline characteristics, MHS 1998–2007.

a<p>Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data; χ² test for categorical data.</p>b<p>In the year prior to Index date.</p><p>CVD, cardiovascular disease; GP, general practitioner.</p

Incidence density rates (IDR) of RA and OA according to the PDC with statins, MHS 1998–2007.

a<p>Excluding first year of follow-up.</p><p>SD, standard deviation.</p

Mutually adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for OA according to PDC with statins and baseline characteristics, MHS 1998–2007.

a<p>Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data; χ² test for categorical data.</p>b<p>In the year prior to Index date.</p><p>CVD, cardiovascular disease; GP, general practitioner.</p

Adjusted HR and 95% CI for RA and OA, according to PDC with statins in patients with at least 5 y of follow-up.

<p>Adjusted for baseline values of age, sex, socioeconomic level, utilization of healthcare services in the year prior to index date, chronic comorbidity (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, morbid obesity), LDL level, and statin efficacy.</p