Table 1

Selected baseline characteristics according to adherence during the first adherence ascertainment year

	Non-adherers (PDC <80%) (n=20 120)		Adherers (PDC ≥80%) (n=22 687)
	n	Per cent	n	Per cent	SD
Age, years
45–49	2423	12.0	2238	9.9	0.070
50–54	5286	26.3	5409	23.8	0.056
55–59	6621	32.9	7949	35.0	0.045
60–64	5790	28.8	7091	31.3	0.054
Statin at baseline
Simvastatin	7801	38.8	8768	38.7	0.003
Lovastatin	373	1.9	337	1.5	0.029
Pravastatin	1421	7.1	1046	4.6	0.105
Fluvastatin	1485	7.4	1818	8.0	0.024
Atorvastatin	7147	35.5	8095	35.7	0.003
Rosuvastatin	1893	9.4	2623	11.6	0.070
Intensity of statin therapy
Low*	5954	29.6	7114	31.4	0.038
Moderate†	14 057	69.9	15 512	68.4	0.032
High‡	109	0.5	61	0.3	0.043
Diabetes	2040	10.1	2732	12.0	0.061
Insulin	605	3.0	765	3.4	0.021
Hypertensive diseases	5246	26.1	6485	28.6	0.056
Number of concurrent CVD medications
0	10 443	51.9	10 812	47.7	0.085
1	5470	27.2	6682	29.5	0.050
2	3078	15.3	3781	16.7	0.037
3–6	1129	5.6	1412	6.2	0.026
Depression	2624	13.0	3089	13.6	0.017
Respiratory diseases	3418	17.0	3502	15.4	0.042
Hormone therapy	7654	38.0	9398	41.4	0.069
Total number of concurrent medications
1–2	7085	35.2	7289	32.1	0.065
3–5	7202	35.8	8037	35.4	0.001
6–31	5833	29.0	7361	32.5	0.077
Number of in-hospital days
0	12 193	60.6	14 222	62.7	0.043
1–2	3902	19.4	4099	18.1	0.034
3–7	2656	13.2	2825	12.5	0.022
8–321	1369	6.8	1541	6.8	0.000
Charlson Comorbidity Index
≥1	1307	6.5	1583	7.0	0.019

*Fluvastatin 20–40 mg, lovastatin 20 mg, pravastatin 10–20 mg, simvastatin 5–10 mg.
†Atorvastatin 10–20 mg, fluvastatin 80 mg, lovastatin 40 mg, pravastatin 40 mg, rosuvastatin 10 mg, simvastatin 20–40 mg.
‡Atorvastatin 40–80 mg, rosuvastatin 20–40 mg, simvastatin 80 mg.
CVD, cardiovascular disease; PDC, proportion of days covered; SD, standardised difference.