Table 2

Observed crude point prevalence and iSPR of prespecified medications among patients in the PBC population or the PBC-pruritus subpopulation relative to the respective non-case population

MedicationPBC population (N=1963)PBC-pruritus subpopulation (N=139)Non-case population (N=10 245 592)*
%iSPR (95% CI)†%iSPR (95% CI)†%
Antidiarrhoeal therapy1.11.42 (0.88 to 2.18)2.23.18 (0.66 to 9.30)0.5
Antihistamines15.71.66 (1.48 to 1.86)34.53.62 (2.67 to 4.80)8.5
Antihyperlipidaemic therapy31.61.02 (0.94 to 1.11)38.11.45 (1.08 to 1.89)20.9
Bile acid sequestrants‡5.87.86 (6.48 to 9.44)18.028.54 (18.47 to 42.12)0.4
Colchicine1.43.14 (2.07 to 4.57)000.6
Corticoid29.41.47 (1.35 to 1.59)33.81.73 (1.27 to 2.30)17.1
Cyclosporine0.720.94 (11.15 to 35.81)0.722.29 (0.56 to 124.20)0.03
Fibrates1.31.10 (0.72 to 1.61)2.92.14 (0.58 to 5.48)1.4
MMF3.519.64 (15.25 to 24.90)7.944.51 (22.22 to 79.65)0.2
Metformin8.00.79 (0.67 to 0.92)3.60.39 (0.13 to 0.91)7.6
Methotrexate0.80.90 (0.51 to 1.46)000.5
Naltrexone0.88.63 (4.93 to 14.02)4.334.54 (12.67 to 75.17)0.1
OCA‡6.957 510.56 (48 218.86 to 68 070.71)11.5105,298.43 (60 187.15 to 170,998.05)0
Penicillamine0.1163.02 (4.13 to 908.31)000
Rifampicin‡1.533.87 (22.68 to 48.65)10.8218.08 (122.06 to 359.69)0.1
Sertraline‡5.01.16 (0.94 to 1.41)9.42.16 (1.15 to 3.70)3.6
Sleep medications12.91.22 (1.07 to 1.38)16.61.65 (1.05 to 2.47)7.7
Statins24.50.84 (0.77 to 0.92)23.70.96 (0.66 to 1.34)19.6
UDCA§87.8766.60 (730.84 to 803.66)83.5796.69 (658.32 to 955.55)0.1
  • *N for the non-case population (N=10 245 592), relates to the comparison versus the PBC population not versus the PBC-pruritus population (N=9 984 009).

  • †Compared with non-cases (comparator) population.

  • ‡Guideline-recommended pruritus treatment (AASLD and EASL).

  • §PBC treatment.

  • AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases; CI, confidence interval; EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; iSPRs, indirect age-sex standardised prevalence ratios; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; OCA, obeticholic acid; PBC, primary biliary cholangitis; UDCA, ursodeoxycholic acid.