Baseline characteristics of users of antiosteoporotic drugs in nationwide cohort of women, 50–84 years of age, Denmark, 2005–2011
| Cohort of new antiosteoporotic drug users | Cohort of switchers from first-line antiosteoporotic drug | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strontium ranelate (N=1798) | Alendronate/risedronate (N=65 236) | Ibandronate (N=3022) | Strontium ranelate (N=1219) | Ibandronate (N=2290) | |
| Demographic characteristics | |||||
| Age, mean (SD) | 71.1 (9.0) | 69.6 (8.9) | 68.9 (8.6) | 69.7 (8.6) | 69.2 (8.6) |
| Born in Denmark | 1729 (96) | 62 266 (95) | 2887 (96) | 1173 (96) | 2199 (96) |
| Region of residence | |||||
| Greater Copenhagen | 431 (24) | 17 426 (27) | 771 (26) | 248 (20) | 638 (28) |
| Zealand | 255 (14) | 7718 (12) | 746 (25) | 152 (12) | 343 (15) |
| Southern Denmark | 468 (26) | 15 742 (24) | 520 (17) | 328 (27) | 398 (17) |
| Central Denmark | 424 (24) | 16 406 (25) | 718 (24) | 332 (27) | 652 (28) |
| North Denmark | 220 (12) | 7944 (12) | 267 (9) | 159 (13) | 259 (11) |
| Calendar year | |||||
| 2005–2006 | 757 (42) | 15 584 (24) | 526 (17) | 454 (37) | 832 (36) |
| 2007–2008 | 551 (31) | 17 257 (26) | 1546 (51) | 384 (32) | 780 (34) |
| 2009–2011 | 490 (27) | 32 395 (50) | 950 (31) | 381 (31) | 678 (30) |
| Medical history* | |||||
| Ischaemic heart disease | 234 (13) | 7902 (12) | 371 (12) | 179 (15) | 316 (14) |
| Other cardiovascular disease | 458 (25) | 15 151 (23) | 653 (22) | 313 (26) | 522 (23) |
| Venous thromboembolism | 41 (2) | 2002 (3) | 83 (3) | 35 (3) | 69 (3) |
| Renal/liver disease | 60 (3) | 2336 (4) | 97 (3) | 45 (4) | 87 (4) |
| Chronic lung disease | 274 (15) | 10 585 (16) | 448 (15) | 211 (17) | 427 (19) |
| Rheumatic disease | 152 (8) | 8018 (12) | 254 (8) | 158 (13) | 298 (13) |
| Peptic ulcer/oesophageal disorder | 250 (14) | 5313 (8) | 254 (8) | 144 (12) | 219 (10) |
| Cancer | 215 (12) | 8532 (13) | 472 (16) | 153 (13) | 302 (13) |
| Alcohol/drug abuse | 86 (5) | 2151 (3) | 103 (3) | 44 (4) | 64 (3) |
| Dementia and functional decline | 171 (10) | 3289 (5) | 118 (4) | 75 (6) | 107 (5) |
| Hospital contact for injury in last year | 241 (13) | 6890 (11) | 296 (10) | 126 (10) | 215 (9) |
| Osteoporotic fracture | 281 (16) | 7786 (12) | 323 (11) | 112 (9) | 176 (8) |
| Prescription drugs used in last year† | |||||
| Antihypertensive drugs | 799 (44) | 29 032 (45) | 1272 (42) | 529 (43) | 1037 (45) |
| Loop diuretics | 285 (16) | 8432 (13) | 344 (11) | 148 (12) | 268 (12) |
| β-blockers and other antiarrythmics | 326 (18) | 11 846 (18) | 528 (17) | 223 (18) | 418 (18) |
| Nitrates | 118 (7) | 3006 (5) | 127 (4) | 64 (5) | 113 (5) |
| Platelet inhibitors and anticoagulants | 500 (28) | 17 331 (27) | 761 (25) | 323 (26) | 621 (27) |
| Lipid lowering drugs | 378 (21) | 15 714 (24) | 702 (23) | 285 (23) | 563 (25) |
| Antidiabetic drugs | 87 (5) | 3350 (5) | 115 (4) | 43 (4) | 97 (4) |
| Antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics | 847 (47) | 25 879 (40) | 1223 (40) | 545 (45) | 998 (44) |
| β-2 inhalants | 223 (12) | 8511 (13) | 352 (12) | 182 (15) | 329 (14) |
| Anticholinergic inhalants | 144 (8) | 5171 (8) | 198 (7) | 117 (10) | 215 (9) |
| Corticosteroid inhalants | 291 (16) | 10 785 (17) | 442 (15) | 222 (18) | 440 (19) |
| Oral corticosteroids | 310 (17) | 15 050 (23) | 567 (19) | 249 (20) | 518 (23) |
| NSAIDs | 745 (41) | 25 546 (39) | 1188 (39) | 458 (38) | 835 (36) |
| Opiate analgesics | 759 (42) | 22 406 (34) | 1095 (36) | 488 (40) | 787 (34) |
| Antiepileptics | 92 (5) | 3073 (5) | 170 (6) | 55 (5) | 122 (5) |
| Systemic hormone replacement therapy | 311 (17) | 11 385 (17) | 560 (19) | 231 (19) | 504 (22) |
| Number of prescription drugs used | |||||
| 0–5 | 642 (36) | 26 817 (41) | 1271 (42) | 343 (28) | 653 (29) |
| 6–10 | 563 (31) | 20 233 (31) | 923 (31) | 397 (33) | 771 (34) |
| 11–15 | 334 (19) | 10 970 (17) | 486 (16) | 265 (22) | 498 (22) |
| ≥16 | 259 (14) | 7216 (11) | 342 (11) | 214 (18) | 368 (16) |
| Healthcare use* | |||||
| Number of cardiovascular emergency department visits/hospitalisations in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 1631 (91) | 60 603 (93) | 2864 (95) | 1139 (93) | 2184 (95) |
| ≥1 | 167 (9) | 4633 (7) | 158 (5) | 80 (7) | 106 (5) |
| Number of other emergency department visits/hospitalisations in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 1199 (67) | 45 927 (70) | 2238 (74) | 916 (75) | 1811 (79) |
| 1–5 | 316 (18) | 11 632 (18) | 472 (16) | 202 (17) | 313 (14) |
| 6–10 | 143 (8) | 4343 (7) | 184 (6) | 61 (5) | 104 (5) |
| ≥ 11 | 140 (8) | 3334 (5) | 128 (4) | 40 (3) | 62 (3) |
| Number of cardiovascular outpatient hospital contacts in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 1671 (93) | 61 561 (94) | 2881 (95) | 1146 (94) | 2190 (96) |
| ≥ 1 | 127 (7) | 3675 (6) | 141 (5) | 73 (6) | 100 (4) |
| Number of other outpatient hospital contacts in last 6 months | |||||
| 0 | 340 (19) | 11 956 (18) | 454 (15) | 349 (29) | 843 (37) |
| 1–5 | 1075 (60) | 40 216 (62) | 1992 (66) | 637 (52) | 1120 (49) |
| 6–10 | 261 (15) | 9017 (14) | 375 (12) | 166 (14) | 211 (9) |
| ≥11 | 122 (7) | 4047 (6) | 201 (7) | 67 (5) | 116 (5) |
| Any emergency department visit/hospitalisation in last 30 days | 212 (12) | 6500 (10) | 196 (6) | 87 (7) | 105 (5) |
| Any emergency department visit/hospitalisation in last 7 days | 41 (2) | 1444 (2) | 34 (1) | 22 (2) | 19 (1) |
| Time since start of first-line antiosteoporotic drug (days) | |||||
| 0–89 | – | – | – | 367 (30) | 576 (25) |
| 90–179 | – | – | – | 243 (20) | 379 (17) |
| 180–364 | – | – | – | 231 (19) | 457 (20) |
| 365–729 | – | – | – | 173 (14) | 473 (21) |
| ≥730 | – | – | – | 205 (17) | 405 (18) |
Figures are numbers (%), unless stated otherwise, and as current at start of treatment.
*As registered in the National Patient Register, which keeps records of all hospitalisations, emergency department and outpatient hospital visits in Denmark.
†As registered in the National Prescription Registry, which keeps records of all filled prescription in Denmark.
ED, emergency department; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.