Table 1

Characteristics of patients initiating ACE inhibitors or ARBs in the UK primary care during 2004–2014, by monitoring groups

 Serum creatinine monitoring*Total
No baseline or follow-up testsBaseline test onlyFollow-up test onlyBaseline and follow-up tests
Total number21 411 (100)63 359 (100)33 185 (100)105 859 (100)223 814 (100)
Female sex8882 (41)27 722 (44)14 570 (44)49 109 (46)100 283 (45)
Age (years)
 <505019 (23)13 697 (22)8732 (26)19 910 (19)47 358 (21)
 50–595485 (26)15 135 (24)9115 (27)24 866 (23)54 601 (24)
 60–694863 (23)15 586 (25)7776 (23)27 790 (26)56 015 (25)
 70–793579 (17)12 193 (19)5066 (15)22 152 (21)42 990 (19)
 80+2465 (12)6748 (11)2496 (8)11 141 (11)22 850 (10)
Calendar period
 2004–200814 814 (69)40 667 (64)19 808 (60)60 902 (58)136 191 (61)
 2009–20146597 (31)22 692 (36)13 377 (40)44 957 (42)87 623 (39)
SES quintiles
 1 (low)5153 (24)15 290 (24)8533 (26)25 577 (24)54 553 (24)
 24725 (22)14 331 (23)7887 (24)24 851 (23)51 794 (23)
 34341 (20)13 028 (21)6890 (21)22 629 (21)46 888 (21)
 44254 (20)12 140 (19)5931 (18)19 318 (18)41 643 (19)
 5 (high)2925 (14)8508 (13)3898 (12)13 359 (13)28 690 (13)
Missing13 (0)62 (0)46 (0)125 (0)246 (0)
Smoking status
 Never7860 (37)22 496 (36)12 229 (37)36 895 (35)79 480 (36)
 Ever13 433 (63)40 797 (64)20 915 (63)68 939 (65)144 084 (64)
Missing118 (1)66 (0)41 (0)25 (0)250 (0)
Alcohol intake
 No use2556 (12)7819 (12)3409 (10)11 088 (10)24 872 (11)
 Current15 495 (72)47 322 (75)25 656 (77)82 870 (78)171 343 (77)
 Former1328 (6)4499 (7)1933 (6)7490 (7)15 250 (7)
Missing2032 (9)3719 (6)2187 (7)4411 (4)12 349 (6)
BMI groups
 Underweight282 (1)700 (1)304 (1)1008 (1)2294 (1)
 Healthy weight5666 (26)15 406 (24)8089 (24)24 972 (24)54 133 (24)
 Overweight7677 (36)23 755 (37)12 484 (38)40 556 (38)84 472 (38)
 Obesity6009 (28)20 660 (33)10 527 (32)35 887 (34)73 083 (33)
Missing1777 (8)2838 (4)1781 (5)3436 (3)9832 (4)
CKD (eGFR)†
 Stage ≤2 (≥60)10 326 (48)53 773 (85)19 470 (59)87 484 (83)171 053 (76)
 Stage 3a (45–59)1137 (5)7382 (12)1766 (5)13 913 (13)24 198 (11)
 Stage 3b (30–44)217 (1)1885 (3)265 (1)3854 (4)6221 (3)
 Stage 4 (15–29)24 (0)319 (1)29 (0)608 (1)980 (0)
Not measured9707 (45)0 (0)11 655 (35)0 (0)21 362 (10)
CV comorbidities‡
 Heart failure1568 (7)3270 (5)1386 (4)4583 (4)10 807 (5)
 Myocardial infarction3881 (18)4653 (7)3203 (10)4620 (4)16 357 (7)
 Hypertension13 023 (61)44 273 (70)24 195 (73)80 946 (76)162 437 (73)
 Peripheral arterial disease471 (2)1590 (3)523 (2)2547 (2)5131 (2)
 Arrhythmia2057 (10)4973 (8)2000 (6)7123 (7)16 153 (7)
Diabetes mellitus1399 (7)13 586 (21)1992 (6)21 548 (20)38 525 (17)
  • *Monitoring groups based on baseline (within 12 months before) and follow-up (within 2 months after) serum creatinine monitoring.

  • †Calculated from most recent creatinine measurement within 12 months before the first prescription date.

  • ‡Diagnosis ever registered before ACE/ARB initiation in CRPD or HES.

  • ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; BMI, body mass index; CKD, chronic kidney disease; CV, cardiovascular; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HES, Hospital Episode Statistics; SES, socioeconomic status.