Cohort characteristics at baseline, N = 702 265
| Characteristic | n (%)a |
|---|---|
| Age, years | |
| Median (range) | 52 (18–110) |
| Mean (SD) | 51.9 (18.8) |
| Age group, years | |
| 18–39 | 210 047 (29.9) |
| 40–59 | 241 831 (34.4) |
| 60–79 | 194 168 (27.6) |
| ≥80 | 56 219 (8.0) |
| Sex | |
| Female | 373 553 (53.2) |
| Male | 328 712 (46.8) |
| Socioeconomic status, IMD quintile | |
| 1 (most deprived) | 102 796 (14.6) |
| 2 | 126 069 (18.0) |
| 3 | 132 262 (18.8) |
| 4 | 146 622 (20.9) |
| 5 (least deprived) | 186 284 (26.5) |
| Missing | 8232 (1.2) |
| Ethnicity | |
| British and mixed British/Irish/other White | 427 019 (60.8) |
| Mixed (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean, and other mixed) | 3863 (0.6) |
| Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani/other Asian | 13 180 (1.9) |
| African/Caribbean/other Black | 5251 (0.7) |
| Other | 7236 (1.0) |
| Missing | 245 716 (35.0) |
| Long-term conditions at baseline | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 6723 (1.0) |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 7834 (1.1) |
| Hypertension | 150 458 (21.4) |
| Osteoarthritis | 95 294 (13.6) |
| Diabetes | 62 767 (8.9) |
| Cardiovascular diseaseb | 52 985 (7.5) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 36 731 (5.2) |
| Heart failure (including cor pulmonale) | 12 799 (1.8) |
| Prescribed at baseline | |
| Methotrexate | 2214 (0.3) |
| Azathioprine | 746 (0.1) |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug | 19 364 (2.8) |
| Diuretic | 35 912 (5.1) |
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor | 55 606 (7.9) |
| Angiotensin-II receptor antagonist | 25 345 (3.6) |