Baseline characteristics of eligible patients in the original and adjusted cohorts
| Original cohort | Adjusted cohort | |||||
| Control group (n=5882) | Nintedanib group (n=353) | SMD | Control group (n=3118) | Nintedanib group (n=3118) | SMD | |
| Male | 4149 (70.5) | 258 (73.1) | 0.06 | 2382 (76.4) | 2382 (76.4) | 0.00 |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| <65 | 1013 (17.2) | 53 (15.0) | −0.06 | 577 (18.5) | 577 (18.5) | 0.00 |
| 65–74 | 2192 (37.3) | 90 (25.5) | −0.26 | 870 (27.9) | 870 (27.9) | 0.00 |
| ≥75 | 2677 (45.5) | 210 (59.5) | 0.28 | 1670 (53.6) | 1670 (53.6) | 0.00 |
| BMI (kg·m−2) | ||||||
| <18.5 | 665 (11.3) | 46 (13.0) | 0.05 | 353 (11.3) | 353 (11.3) | 0.00 |
| 18.5–24.9 | 3415 (58.1) | 206 (58.4) | 0.06 | 1762 (56.5) | 1762 (56.5) | 0.00 |
| 25.0–29.9 | 1388 (23.6) | 75 (21.3) | −0.06 | 697 (22.4) | 697 (22.4) | 0.00 |
| ≥30.0 | 127 (2.2) | 19 (5.4) | 0.17 | 219 (7.0) | 219 (7.0) | 0.00 |
| Missing | 287 (4.9) | 7 (2.0) | −0.16 | 87 (2.8) | 87 (2.8) | 0.00 |
| CCI | ||||||
| 0–1 | 2500 (42.5) | 140 (39.7) | −0.06 | 1311 (42.0) | 1311 (42.0) | 0.00 |
| ≥2 | 2051 (34.9) | 96 (27.2) | −0.17 | 869 (27.9) | 869 (27.9) | 0.00 |
| Missing | 1331 (22.6) | 117 (33.1) | 0.24 | 937 (30.1) | 937 (30.1) | 0.00 |
| Smoking history (pack-years) | ||||||
| Never | 2471 (42.0) | 77 (21.8) | −0.44 | 718 (23.0) | 718 (23.0) | 0.00 |
| ≤20 | 628 (10.7) | 21 (5.9) | −0.17 | 244 (7.8) | 244 (7.8) | 0.00 |
| 21–40 | 1090 (18.5) | 63 (17.8) | −0.02 | 608 (19.5) | 608 (19.5) | 0.00 |
| 41–60 | 615 (10.5) | 50 (14.2) | 0.11 | 411 (13.2) | 411 (13.2) | 0.00 |
| ≥61 | 534 (9.1) | 101 (28.6) | 0.52 | 842 (27.0) | 842 (27.0) | 0.00 |
| Missing | 544 (9.2) | 41 (11.6) | 0.08 | 295 (9.5) | 295 (9.5) | 0.00 |
| Hugh-Jones dyspnoea scale | ||||||
| 1 | 540 (9.2) | 36 (10.2) | 0.03 | 392 (12.6) | 392 (12.6) | 0.00 |
| 2 | 655 (11.1) | 40 (11.3) | 0.01 | 335 (10.8) | 335 (10.8) | 0.00 |
| 3 | 864 (14.7) | 55 (15.6) | 0.03 | 515 (16.5) | 515 (16.5) | 0.00 |
| 4 | 1279 (21.7) | 52 (14.7) | −0.18 | 544 (17.4) | 544 (17.4) | 0.00 |
| 5 | 1489 (25.3) | 101 (28.6) | 0.07 | 868 (27.9) | 868 (27.9) | 0.00 |
| Missing | 1055 (17.9) | 69 (19.5) | 0.04 | 463 (14.9) | 463 (14.9) | 0.00 |
| ADL score (Barthel index) | ||||||
| Fully independent | 2653 (45.1) | 124 (35.1) | −0.21 | 1133 (36.3) | 1133 (36.3) | 0.00 |
| Independent | 827 (14.1) | 20 (5.7) | −0.28 | 242 (7.8) | 242 (7.8) | 0.00 |
| Dependent | 1546 (26.3) | 91 (25.8) | −0.01 | 782 (25.1) | 782 (25.1) | 0.00 |
| Missing | 856 (14.6) | 118 (33.4) | 0.45 | 960 (30.8) | 960 (30.8) | 0.00 |
| Preceding pirfenidone | 389 (6.6) | 38 (10.8) | 0.15 | 311 (10.0) | 310 (10.0) | 0.00 |
| Preceding OCS | 948 (16.1) | 32 (9.1) | −0.21 | 356 (11.4) | 356 (11.4) | 0.00 |
| Admission year | ||||||
| September 2015–March 2016 | 650 (11.1) | 35 (9.9) | −0.04 | 283 (9.1) | 283 (9.1) | 0.00 |
| April 2016–March 2017 | 964 (16.4) | 29 (8.2) | −0.25 | 288 (9.2) | 288 (9.2) | 0.00 |
| April 2017–March 2018 | 1288 (21.9) | 89 (25.2) | 0.08 | 817 (26.2) | 817 (26.2) | 0.00 |
| April 2018–March 2019 | 1701 (28.9) | 120 (34.0) | 0.11 | 1044 (33.5) | 1044 (33.5) | 0.00 |
| April 2019–March 2020 | 1279 (21.7) | 80 (22.7) | 0.02 | 686 (22.0) | 686 (22.0) | 0.00 |
| Admissions (n) | 11.2±16.9 | 8.6±6.4 | −0.20 | 8.5±10.7 | 8.5±6.2 | 0.00 |
Data are presented as n (%) or mean±sd, unless otherwise stated. SMD: standardised mean difference; BMI: body mass index; CCI: Charlson Comorbidity Index; ADL: activities of daily living; OCS: oral corticosteroid.