Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry according to initial glucocorticoid prescriber and underlying diagnosis
| Overall population n=14 205 | Women <55 years and Men n=9 828 | Women >55 years n=4377 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Prescriber's specialty | |||
| Primary-care physician | 545 (6.9) | 154 (2.8) | 391 (16.4)* |
| Rheumatologist | 182 (24.9) | 44 (11.8) | 138 (38.8)* |
| Pulmonologist | 20 (5.9) | 6 (2.4) | 14 (14.7)δ |
| Gastroenterologist | 14 (6.3) | 10 (5.1) | 4 (14.3)NS |
| Internist | 13 (11.5) | 5 (7.4) | 8 (17.8)NS |
| Other | 167 (10.1) | 34 (2.9) | 86 (18.8)* |
| Not recorded† | 281 (8.5) | 102 (4.5) | 179 (17.8)* |
| Diagnosis‡ | |||
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 120 (21.8) | 31 (11.3) | 89 (32.2)* |
| Autoimmune disease§ | 99 (25.3) | 18 (10.7) | 81 (36.2)* |
| Chronic respiratory failure | 21 (4.9) | 5 (1.8) | 16 (10.7)δ |
| Asthma | 20 (8.9) | 4 (3.1) | 16 (16.3)δ |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 24 (6.5) | 17 (5.3) | 7 (13.5)NS |
Comparison between Women <55 years and men versus Women >55 years.
NSNon significant, *p<10−6, δp<0.05
†Specialty of hospital-based physicians was not recorded in the database.
‡Other diagnoses than RA, autoimmune diseases, Chronic respiratory failure, asthma and IBD were miscellaneous conditions with small numbers or unknown.
§Defined in this study as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, and polyarteritis nodosa.