Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study subjects at their initial ischemic stroke or TIA events, 2007–2016
Cardiovascular treatment groups | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | Total, n = 52,619 | 0 medication, n = 4259 (8.1%) | 1 medication, n = 4837 (9.2%) | 2 medications, n = 10,705 (20.3%) | 3 medications, n = 12,112 (23.0%) | 4 medications, n = 10,197 (19.4%) | 5 medications, n = 6177 (11.7%) | ≥ 6 medications, n = 4332 (8.2%) | P value |
Sex, % women | 27,419 (52.1) | 2256 (53.0) | 2654 (54.9) | 5507 (51.4) | 6096 (50.3) | 5283 (51.8) | 3294 (53.3) | 2329 (53.8) | < 0.01 |
Age, (years), mean ± SD | 72.0 ± 11.9 | 71.7 ± 13.3 | 71.9 ± 13.6 | 70.7 ± 12.5 | 71.8 ± 11.7 | 72.6 ± 11.1 | 72.9 ± 10.7 | 73.1 ± 10.6 | < 0.01 |
Smoking (%) | |||||||||
 Current | 9847 (18.7) | 877 (20.6) | 911 (18.8) | 2252 (21.0) | 2401 (19.8) | 1822 (17.9) | 948 (15.4) | 636 (14.7) |  |
 Former | 16,458 (31.3) | 1186 (27.9) | 1349 (27.9) | 3144 (29.4) | 3855 (31.8) | 3304 (32.4) | 2121 (34.3) | 1499 (34.6) |  |
 Never | 24,507 (46.6) | 1997 (46.9) | 2364 (48.9) | 4930 (46.1) | 5442 (44.9) | 4767 (46.8) | 2929 (47.4) | 2078 (48.0) |  |
 Missing | 1807 (3.4) | 199 (4.7) | 213 (4.4) | 379 (3.5) | 414 (3.4) | 304 (3.0) | 179 (2.9) | 119 (2.8) |  |
Alcohol (%) | |||||||||
 Current | 26,023 (49.5) | 1923 (45.2) | 2132 (44.1) | 5152 (48.1) | 6133 (50.6) | 5216 (51.2) | 3222 (52.2) | 2245 (51.8) |  |
 Former | 1728 (3.3) | 116 (2.7) | 189 (3.9) | 355 (3.3) | 410 (3.4) | 318 (3.1) | 213 (3.5) | 127 (2.9) |  |
 Never | 8658 (16.5) | 712 (16.7) | 788 (16.3) | 1700 (15.9) | 1920 (15.9) | 1659 (16.3) | 1070 (17.3) | 809 (18.7) |  |
 Missing | 16,210 (30.8) | 1508 (35.4) | 1728 (35.7) | 3498 (32.7) | 3649 (30.1) | 3004 (29.5) | 1672 (27.1) | 1151 (26.6) |  |
BMI status (%) | |||||||||
 Normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) | 12,506 (23.8) | 1052 (24.7) | 1327 (27.4) | 2786 (26.0) | 2922 (24.1) | 2350 (23.1) | 1299 (21.0) | 770 (17.8) |  |
 Overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) | 14,897 (28.3) | 1080 (25.4) | 1229 (25.4) | 2879 (26.9) | 3408 (28.1) | 3062 (30.0) | 1933 (31.3) | 1306 (30.2) |  |
 Obese (≥ 30.0 kg/m2) | 11,131 (21.2) | 715 (16.8) | 670 (13.9) | 1748 (16.3) | 2410 (19.9) | 2382 (23.4) | 1727 (28.0) | 1479 (34.1) |  |
 Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2) | 1075 (2.0) | 109 (2.6) | 182 (3.8) | 268 (2.5) | 272 (2.3) | 151 (1.5) | 58 (0.9) | 35 (0.8) |  |
 Missing | 13,010 (24.7) | 1303 (30.6) | 1429 (29.5) | 3024 (28.3) | 3100 (25.6) | 2252 (22.1) | 1160 (18.8) | 742 (17.1) |  |
BP status (%) | |||||||||
 Normal (BP < 140/90 mmHg) | 21,263 (40.4) | 1608 (37.8) | 2191 (45.3) | 4537 (42.4) | 4780 (39.5) | 3966 (38.9) | 2432 (39.4) | 1749 (40.4) |  |
 Stage 1 hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg) | 15,626 (29.7) | 1066 (25.0) | 1221 (25.2) | 2841 (26.5) | 3658 (30.2) | 3293 (32.3) | 2109 (34.1) | 1438 (33.2) |  |
 Stage 2 hypertension (BP ≥ 160/100 mmHg) | 5166 (9.8) | 355 (8.3) | 332 (6.9) | 766 (7.2) | 1198 (9.9) | 1184 (11.6) | 765 (12.4) | 566 (13.1) |  |
 Stage 3 hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 180 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 110 mmHg) | 2413 (4.6) | 154 (3.6) | 129 (2.7) | 284 (2.7) | 508 (4.2) | 578 (5.7) | 406 (6.6) | 354 (8.2) |  |
 Missing | 8078 (15.4) | 1070 (25.1) | 958 (19.8) | 2263 (21.1) | 1953 (16.1) | 1159 (11.4) | 454 (7.4) | 221 (5.1) |  |
TC status (%) | |||||||||
 Optimal (< 5.2 mmol/L) | 16,562 (31.5) | 995 (23.4) | 1092 (22.6) | 2648 (24.7) | 3560 (29.4) | 3636 (35.7) | 2571 (41.6) | 2060 (47.6) |  |
 Intermediate (5.3–6.2 mmol/L) | 7898 (15.0) | 519 (12.2) | 626 (12.9) | 1596 (14.9) | 1929 (15.9) | 1598 (15.7) | 974 (15.8) | 656 (15.1) |  |
 High (> 6.2 mmol/L) | 4510 (8.6) | 314 (7.4) | 386 (8.0) | 921 (8.6) | 1111 (9.2) | 902 (8.9) | 551 (8.9) | 325 (7.5) |  |
 Missing | 23,649 (44.9) | 2431 (57.1) | 2733 (56.5) | 5540 (51.8) | 5512 (45.5) | 4061 (39.8) | 2081 (33.7) | 1291 (29.8) |  |
Townsend score (%) | |||||||||
 1 (least deprived) | 10,959 (20.8) | 809 (19.0) | 1037 (21.4) | 2256 (21.1) | 2627 (21.7) | 2155 (21.1) | 1248 (20.2) | 827 (19.1) |  |
 2 | 10,833 (20.6) | 851 (20.0) | 1058 (21.9) | 2216 (20.7) | 2496 (20.6) | 2083 (20.4) | 1306 (21.1) | 823 (19.0) |  |
 3 | 9949 (18.9) | 827 (19.4) | 952 (19.7) | 2051 (19.2) | 2168 (17.9) | 1932 (19.0) | 1173 (19.0) | 846 (19.5) |  |
 4 | 8613 (16.4) | 745 (17.5) | 734 (15.2) | 1716 (16.0) | 2011 (16.6) | 1639 (16.1) | 1004 (16.3) | 764 (17.6) |  |
 5 (most deprived) | 5995 (11.4) | 494 (11.6) | 515 (10.7) | 1255 (11.7) | 1400 (11.6) | 1113 (10.9) | 724 (11.7) | 494 (11.4) |  |
 Missing | 6270 (11.9) | 533 (12.5) | 541 (11.2) | 1211 (11.3) | 1410 (11.6) | 1275 (12.5) | 722 (11.7) | 578 (13.3) |  |
History of PCI (%) | 262 (0.5) | 13 (0.3) | 6 (0.1) | 26 (0.2) | 42 (0.4) | 51 (0.5) | 43 (0.7) | 81 (1.9) | Â |
Comorbidity (%) | |||||||||
 Hypertension | 29,382 (55.8) | 1802 (42.3) | 1604 (33.2) | 3547 (33.1) | 6353 (52.5) | 7208 (70.7) | 5058 (81.9) | 3810 (88.0) | < 0.01 |
 Hyperlipidaemia | 7510 (14.3) | 433 (10.2) | 463 (9.6) | 1257 (11.7) | 1644 (13.6) | 1629 (16.0) | 1187 (19.2) | 897 (20.7) | < 0.01 |
 Arrhythmia | 8159 (15.5) | 645 (15.1) | 449 (9.3) | 1095 (10.2) | 1611 (13.3) | 1851 (18.2) | 1331 (21.6) | 1177 (27.2) | < 0.01 |
 Heart failure | 2235 (4.3) | 154 (3.6) | 98 (2.0) | 233 (2.2) | 373 (3.1) | 446 (4.4) | 415 (6.7) | 516 (11.9) | < 0.01 |
 PVD | 2752 (5.2) | 209 (4.9) | 178 (3.7) | 450 (4.2) | 557 (4.6) | 583 (5.7) | 427 (6.9) | 348 (8.0) | < 0.01 |
 Diabetes | 8921 (17.0) | 568 (13.3) | 511 (10.6) | 1313 (12.3) | 1845 (15.2) | 1933 (19.0) | 1442 (23.3) | 1309 (30.2) | < 0.01 |
 Dementia | 2549 (4.8) | 271 (6.4) | 518 (10.7) | 653 (6.1) | 518 (4.3) | 324 (3.2) | 170 (2.8) | 95 (2.2) | < 0.01 |
 COPD | 4424 (8.4) | 297 (7.0) | 412 (8.5) | 881 (8.2) | 1058 (8.7) | 892 (8.8) | 517 (8.4) | 367 (8.5) | 0.02 |
 Asthma | 6888 (13.1) | 494 (11.6) | 679 (14.0) | 1418 (13.3) | 1642 (13.6) | 1292 (12.7) | 789 (12.8) | 574 (13.3) | < 0.01 |
 Liver disease | 338 (0.6) | 45 (1.1) | 45 (0.9) | 59 (0.6) | 79 (0.7) | 61 (0.6) | 29 (0.5) | 20 (0.5) | < 0.01 |
 Peptic ulcer disease | 2974 (5.7) | 240 (5.6) | 282 (5.8) | 594 (5.6) | 689 (5.7) | 587 (5.8) | 346 (5.6) | 236 (5.5) | 0.98 |
 RA | 1094 (2.1) | 96 (2.3) | 113 (2.3) | 199 (1.9) | 259 (2.1) | 206 (2.0) | 132 (2.1) | 89 (2.1) | 0.51 |
 CKD | 9366 (17.8) | 666 (15.6) | 597 (12.4) | 1346 (12.7) | 1922 (16.0) | 2045 (20.1) | 1495 (24.2) | 1259 (29.2) | < 0.01 |