Table 3

Risk of ischaemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction in patients with AS compared with controls

PopulationNumber of eventsAge-gender adj HR95% CINSAID-adj HR195% CIFully adj HR295% CI
Ischaemic heart disease*
Controls600ReferenceReference Reference
Patients with AS1021.20(0.97 to 1.48)1.04(0.83 to 1.30)1.00(0.80 to 1.25)
Gender
 Female261.88(1.22 to 2.90)1.57(0.99 to 2.48)1.31(0.83 to 2.08)
 Male761.07(0.84 to 1.37)0.94(0.72 to 1.21)0.94(0.73 to 1.21)
Acute myocardial infarction†
Controls291ReferenceReferenceReference
Patients with AS380.91(0.65 to 1.28)0.80(0.56 to 1.15)0.76(0.53 to 1.09)
Gender
 Female71.16(0.52 to 2.58)0.97(0.42 to 2.23)0.85(0.36 to 1.98)
 Male310.87(0.60 to 1.27)0.80(0.54 to 1.19)0.77(0.52 to 1.15)
  • Bold typeface indicates statistical significance (p<0.05). *Because patients with a history of ischaemic heart disease before the index date were excluded, the total number of patients with AS was 3640 and the total number of controls was 25 299.

  • †Because patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction before the index date were excluded, the total number of patients with AS was 3738, and the total number of controls was 25 843.

  • The controls are used as reference group with an HR of 1.0.

  • 1) Adjusted for: age, gender and the DDD of NSAID use.

  • 2) Adjusted for: age, gender, DDD of NSAID use, as well as smoking status, BMI, and use of antihypertensives, antiplatelets, antidiabetics, statins in the past 6 months.

  • Adj, adjusted; AS, ankylosing spondylitis; BMI, body mass index; DDD, defined daily doses; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.