The Utilization of Chinese Herbal Products for Hyperthyroidism in National Health Insurance System (NHIRD) of Taiwan: A Population-Based Study

Table 1

Demographic characteristics and results of multiple logistic regression models. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of patients with hyperthyroidism between 2000 and 2013 in Taiwan are shown.

Characteristics	TCM non-user N = 3572		TCM user N = 9822		value	Adjusted^# OR (95% CI)	value
	n	%	n	%
No. of cases
TCM for hyperthyroidism			416
Sex					<0.001
Women	2411	67.5	7944	80.9		1.00
Men	1161	32.5	1878	19.1		0.52 (0.47–0.57)	<0.001
Age at diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, years					<0.001
20–29	526	14.7	2070	21.1		1.00
30–39	804	22.5	2579	26.3		0.83 (0.74–0.95)	0.005
40–49	799	22.4	2317	23.6		0.76 (0.67–0.86)	<0.001
50–59	681	19.1	1583	16.1		0.58 (0.51–0.67)	<0.001
≥60	762	21.3	1273	13.0		0.42 (0.37–0.49)	<0.001
Mean (SD)^†	47.4	(16.0)	42.8	(14.1)	<0.001
Occupational status					0.32
White-collar	2009	56.2	5550	56.5		1.00
Blue-collar	1260	35.3	3516	35.8		1.03 (0.94–1.12)	0.52
Others	303	8.48	756	7.70		0.95 (0.82–1.10)	0.52
Residential area					<0.001
Northern	445	12.5	1102	11.2		1.00
Taipei	1519	42.5	3821	38.9		1.03 (0.90–1.17)	0.70
Central	468	13.1	1928	19.6		1.68 (1.45–1.96)	<0.001
Southern	529	14.8	1316	13.4		1.01 (0.87–1.18)	0.86
Eastern	89	2.49	238	2.42		1.13 (0.86–1.49)	0.39
Kao-Ping	522	14.6	1417	14.4		1.09 (0.93–1.27)	0.29
Comorbidity
Atrial fibrillation					<0.001
No	3459	96.8	9697	98.7		1.00
Yes	113	3.16	125	1.27		0.63 (0.48–0.83)	0.001
Congestive heart failure					<0.001
No	3392	95.0	9543	97.2		1.00
Yes	180	5.04	279	2.84		0.78 (0.63–0.96)	0.02
Goiter					0.12
No	3330	93.2	9076	92.4		1.00
Yes	242	6.77	746	7.60		1.03 (0.89–1.21)	0.67
Diabetes mellitus					<0.001
No	3176	88.9	8977	91.4		1.00
Yes	396	11.1	845	8.60		1.01 (0.88–1.15)	0.94
Pernicious anemia^‡					0.61
No	3570	99.9	9819	99.9		1.00
Yes	2	0.06	3	0.03		0.70 (0.11–4.50)	0.71
Immune thrombocytopenia^‡					0.54
No	3567	99.9	9813	99.9		1.00
Yes	5	0.14	9	0.09		0.68 (0.22–2.08)	0.50
Depression					<0.001
No	3387	94.8	9117	92.8		1.00
Yes	185	5.18	705	7.18		1.57 (1.32–1.86)	<0.001
Erectile dysfunction (only men)^§					0.29
No	1146	98.7	1843	98.1		1.00
Yes	15	1.29	35	1.86		1.65 (0.86–3.15)	0.13
Absence of menstruation (only women)^&					<0.001
No	2243	93.0	7126	89.7		1.00
Yes	168	6.97	818	10.3		1.19 (0.99–1.42)	0.06
Asthma					0.49
No	3354	93.9	9188	95.6		1.00
Yes	218	6.10	634	6.45		1.24 (1.05–1.47)	0.01
Intestinal malabsorption					0.99
No	3570	99.9	9817	99.9		1.00
Yes	2	0.06	5	0.05		0.68 (0.13–3.53)	0.64
Osteoporosis					0.85
No	3336	93.4	9184	93.5		1.00
Yes	236	6.61	638	6.50		1.21 (1.02–1.44)	0.03
Medication
Carbimazole^#	791	22.1	2189	22.3	0.86	0.97 (0.88, 1.07)	0.53
Methimazole^#	1828	51.2	4518	46.0	<0.001	0.78 (0.71, 0.84)	<0.001
Propylthiouracil^#	1123	31.4	3498	35.6	<0.001	1.12 (1.02, 1.22)	0.01

TCM, traditional Chinese medicine; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; SD, standard deviation. ^†Student’s t-test. ^‡Fisher’s exact test. ^#Model adjusted for sex, age (categorical), occupational status, residential area, and comorbidity (except for erectile dysfunction and absence of menstruation). ^§Model adjusted for age (categorical), occupational status, residential area, and comorbidity (except for absence of menstruation). ^&Model adjusted for age (categorical), occupational status, residential area, and comorbidity (except for erectile dysfunction). , , and .