Table 3

Association between any preceding sinusitis and incident rheumatic disease, stratified by time of first sinusitis exposure

Rheumatic diseaseAdjusted* OR (95% CI), years before index
>1 to 5 years (n=218)>5 to 10 years (n=258)>10 years (n=256)
Any rheumatic disease1.5 (1.1 to 2.0)1.7 (1.3 to 2.3)1.2 (0.9 to 1.6)
Rheumatoid arthritis1.6 (1.1 to 2.5)1.2 (0.8 to 1.9)1.1 (0.7 to 1.6)
 Seropositive1.4 (0.8 to 2.5)1.1 (0.7 to 1.9)1.0 (0.6 to 1.7)
 Seronegative2.0 (1.0 to 4.1)1.3 (0.6 to 2.9)1.2 (0.6 to 2.5)
Spondyloarthritis1.0 (0.3 to 3.1)2.2 (0.8 to 6.2)1.2 (0.4 to 3.2)
 Ankylosing spondylitis1.3 (0.1 to 13)2.4 (0.3 to 18)4.5 (0.4 to 55)
 Psoriatic arthritis0.9 (0.2 to 3.4)2.2 (0.6 to 7.5)0.8 (0.2 to 2.6)
Systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease2.0 (0.9 to 4.3)2.7 (1.3 to 5.7)1.9 (0.9 to 4.2)
 Antiphospholipid syndrome6.0 (1.1 to 33)N/A3.0 (0.2 to 48)
 Sjögren’s syndrome2.0 (0.5 to 7.6)3.2 (1.1 to 9.5)2.0 (0.6 to 6.9)
 Systemic lupus erythematosus0.5 (0.1 to 4.1)0.7 (0.1 to 5.9)0.4 (0.1 to 3.4)
 Systemic sclerosisN/A1.3 (0.1 to 14)7.4 (0.7 to 74)
Vasculitis1.1 (0.7 to 1.9)2.0 (1.3 to 3.1)1.0 (0.6 to 1.8)
 ANCA-associated vasculitis0.4 (0.0 to 4.4)3.5 (0.8 to 16)1.1 (0.1 to 11)
 Giant cell arteritis2.0 (0.5 to 7.8)1.2 (0.3 to 4.5)0.4 (0.0 to 5.4)
 Polymyalgia rheumatica1.1 (0.6 to 2.0)2.0 (1.3 to 3.2)1.1 (0.6 to 2.0)
  • *Reference group was individuals with no sinusitis codes prior to index date. Adjusting for age, sex, electronic health record history, race and ethnicity, body mass index, smoking status. Bold values were statistically significant.

  • †Unadjusted conditional logistic regression due to small sample size.

  • ANCA, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody; N/A, not applicable due to insufficient exposures.