Table 4

Factors associated with serious infection risk in patients with RA and NIRMD using the best models selected by LASSO, excluding and including GC*

Time to SIAll HR (95% CI)Opportunistic HR (95% CI)Herpes zoster HR (95% CI)
Excluding GCIncluding GCExcluding GCIncluding GCExcluding GCIncluding GC
RA versus NIRMD1.7
(1.5–1.9)		1.3
(1.2–1.5)		2.7
(1.3–6.0)		1.7
(0.8–3.9)		2.8
(1.2–6.7)		1.7
(0.7–4.2)
White race1.3
(1.1–1.7)		1.3
(1.1–1.7)		1.2
(0.4–3.8)
Age (years)1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.1)		1.0
(1.0–1.1)
Female sex1.3
(1.2–1.4)		1.2
(1.1–1.4)		1.5
(0.9–2.5)		1.5
(0.9–2.5)
Disease duration1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)
Rural (vs urban)1.1
(1.0–1.2)		1.1
(1.0–1.2)
Prior infections1.4
(1.2–1.7)		1.4
(1.2–1.6)		1.3
(0.7–2.6)		1.9
(0.9–4.1)		1.9
(0.9–4.1)
Ever smoker1.2
(1.1–1.3)		1.2
(1.1–1.3)		0.7
(0.4–1.1)		0.6
(0.4–1.0)		0.6
(0.4–1.1)		0.6
(0.3–1.0)
Modified RDCI (0 to 5)1.1
(1.1–1.2)		1.1
(1.1–1.2)		1.3
(1.0–1.6)
HAQ disability1.4
(1.3–1.5)		1.3
(1.2–1.4)		0.9
(0.7–1.4)		1.7
(1.2–2.4)		1.6
(1.1–2.3)
Pain scale1.0
(1.0–1.1)		1.0
(1.0–1.0)		1.0
(0.9–1.1)
Educational level1.0
(0.9–1.0)		1.0
(0.9–1.0)		1.0
(0.9–1.1)		1.0
(0.9–1.1)
Diabetes1.5
(1.3–1.7)		1.5
(1.3–1.7)		0.6
(0.3–1.3)		0.6
(0.3–1.4)		0.3
(0.1–1.1)		0.3
(0.1–1.2)
Vaccinations0.7
(0.7–0.8)		0.7
(0.7–0.8)		1.1
(0.7–1.7)		1.1
(0.7–1.8)		0.7
(0.4–1.2)		0.7
(0.4–1.3)
Pulmonary disease1.7
(1.5–1.8)		1.6
(1.5–1.8)		3.3
(2.1–5.1)		3.2
(2.1–5.0)
History of fracture1.4
(1.3–1.6)		1.4
(1.2–1.5)		0.9
(0.6–1.5)		0.9
(0.5–1.5)		2.8
(1.2–6.7)
Current use of glucocorticoid1.7
(1.5–1.9)		2.2
(2.0–2.4)		2.7
(1.3–6.0)		3.5
(2.2–5.4)		2.8
(1.2–6.7)		3.7
(2.2–6.4)

  • *Bold, p<0.05

  • GC, glucocorticoids;HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; LASSO, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator; NIRMD, non-inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases;RA, rheumatoid arthritis;RDCI, Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index; SI, serious infection.