Retrospective Cohort Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. May 15, 2023; 15(5): 828-842
Published online May 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i5.828
Table 1 Demographic characteristics and comorbidities for non-LipoCol Forte capsules users and LipoCol Forte capsules user populations in Taiwan between 2010 and 2017
VariablesNon-LFC users (n = 33231)
LFC users (n = 33231)
SMD
n
%
n
%
Sex
    Female1586947.751579847.540.004
    Male1736252.251743352.460.004
Age (yr)
    20-293000.903190.960.006
    30-3914344.3215454.650.016
    40-49367711.07381611.480.013
    > 502782083.722755182.910.022
    mean (SD)63.2213.6062.7513.620.035
Comorbidities
    Hypertension2119563.782082562.670.023
    Coronary heart disease1125533.871097233.020.018
    Ischemic stroke690220.77678420.410.009
    Hemorrhagic stroke8162.469392.830.023
    Diabetes mellitus1234837.161217236.630.011
    Hyperlipidemia1679350.531619648.740.036
    Renal insufficiency402812.12400712.060.002
    Cirrhosis25857.7826437.950.007
    Alcoholic liver damage25547.6926067.840.006
    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease16484.9618255.490.024
    HBV infection32399.75334210.060.010
    HCV infection20616.2021966.610.017
Medications
    Statin1200836.131166635.110.022
    Non-statin lipid-lowering drug633919.08616118.540.014
    Aspirin1556446.841533046.130.014
    HBV treatment15314.6115724.730.006
    HCV treatment70.02100.030.006
    Metformin867426.10846925.490.014
    Thiazolidinediones25337.6224837.470.006
Table 2 Incidence rates, hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of liver cancer, stratified by sex, age, comorbidities and medications, comparing LipoCol Forte capsules users with non-LipoCol Forte capsules users
Non-LFC users
LFC users
Crude
Adjusted
Variable
Event
Person-years
IR
Event
Person-years
IR
cHR
95%CI
P value
aHR1
95%CI
P value
Overall384818660420.62370019212219.260.89(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.0010.91(0.86, 0.95)c< 0.001
Sex
    Female14169148715.4812679419013.450.83(0.77, 0.9)c< 0.0010.87(0.8, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Male24329511725.5724339793224.840.93(0.88, 0.99)a0.0140.93(0.87, 0.98)b0.008
Age (yr)
    20-291118845.84920544.380.67(0.27, 1.68)0.3960.61(0.24, 1.59)0.313
    30-396888817.667798547.810.96(0.69, 1.34)0.8270.79(0.56, 1.11)0.178
    40-492852239212.732902361712.280.95(0.8, 1.12)0.5080.91(0.77, 1.07)0.249
    > 50348415344722.71332415659721.230.89(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.0010.91(0.87, 0.95)c< 0.001
Comorbidities
    Hypertension   
    No11696939816.8512817310717.521(0.92, 1.08)0.9100.93(0.86, 1.01)0.090
    Yes267911720622.86241911901520.330.85(0.81, 0.9)c< 0.0010.89(0.84, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Coronary heart disease   
    No245512492319.65241313003718.560.9(0.85, 0.95)c< 0.0010.88(0.84, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Yes13936168122.5812876208520.730.89(0.83, 0.96)b0.0040.94(0.87, 1.02)0.143
    Ischemic stroke   
    No300214957720.07298315463319.290.92(0.87, 0.97)b0.0010.91(0.86, 0.96)c< 0.001
    Yes8463702722.857173748919.130.8(0.73, 0.89)c< 0.0010.9(0.81, 0.99)a0.033
    Hemorrhagic stroke   
    No373818238220.50358618704619.170.89(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.0010.9(0.86, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes110422226.05114507622.460.86(0.66, 1.12)0.2651(0.76, 1.32)0.992
    Diabetes mellitus   
    No202311936316.95197212417215.880.9(0.84, 0.96)c< 0.0010.89(0.84, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes18256724127.1417286795025.430.9(0.84, 0.96)b0.0010.92(0.86, 0.98)a0.010
    Hyperlipidemia   
    No19869231421.5119809862820.080.9(0.84, 0.96)c< 0.0010.89(0.83, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Yes18629429019.7517209349418.400.89(0.83, 0.95)c< 0.0010.93(0.87, 1)a0.040
    Renal insufficiency   
    No331916585220.01322117096418.840.9(0.86, 0.95)c< 0.0010.9(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Yes5292075225.494792115822.640.86(0.76, 0.97)a0.0160.96(0.85, 1.1)0.580
    Cirrhosis   
    No251417489314.38231418007412.850.84(0.8, 0.89)c< 0.0010.83(0.79, 0.88)c< 0.001
    Yes133411711113.91138612048115.040.98(0.91, 1.06)0.6061(0.93, 1.08)0.921
    Alcoholic liver damage   
    No329717357519.00316417884217.690.89(0.84, 0.93)c< 0.0010.88(0.84, 0.93)c< 0.001
    Yes5511302942.295361328140.360.95(0.85, 1.07)0.4321(0.88, 1.13)0.970
    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease   
    No355317775319.99340418215518.690.89(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.0010.9(0.86, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Yes295885133.33296996729.700.86(0.73, 1.01)0.060.92(0.78, 1.09)0.322
    HBV infection   
    No260417024615.30250117500114.290.89(0.84, 0.94)c< 0.0010.88(0.83, 0.93)c< 0.001
    Yes12441635976.0511991712170.030.89(0.82, 0.96)b0.0030.91(0.84, 0.99)a0.025
    HCV infection   
    No278417677215.75265818132314.660.89(0.84, 0.94)c< 0.0010.88(0.83, 0.93)c< 0.001
    Yes10649832108.2210421079996.490.85(0.78, 0.92)c< 0.0010.9(0.82, 0.98)a0.016
Medication
    Statins   
    No269312044022.36268112595421.290.91(0.87, 0.97)b0.0010.91(0.86, 0.96)c< 0.001
    Yes11556616417.4610196616815.400.84(0.77, 0.92)c< 0.0010.92(0.84, 1)0.058
    Non-statin lipid-lowering drugs   
    No320315134321.16308015712019.600.89(0.85, 0.93)c< 0.0010.9(0.86, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes6453526118.296203500317.710.92(0.82, 1.03)0.1350.94(0.84, 1.05)0.295
    Aspirin   
    No194710173819.14193510570818.310.91(0.86, 0.97)b0.0040.88(0.83, 0.94)c< 0.001
    Yes19018486622.4017658641420.430.88(0.82, 0.94)c< 0.0010.93(0.87, 1)a0.043
    HBV treatment   
    No297117961016.54278818492015.080.87(0.82, 0.91)c< 0.0010.83(0.79, 0.88)c< 0.001
    Yes8776994125.409127203126.620.97(0.89, 1.07)0.5920.99(0.9, 1.09)0.807
    HCV treatment   
    No384318659420.60369719208419.250.89(0.86, 0.94)c< 0.0010.91(0.87, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes510487.0033977.830.21(0.04, 1.07)0.060NANA1
    Metformin   
    No247114010617.64241314547416.590.9(0.85, 0.96)c< 0.0010.9(0.85, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes13774649829.6112874664827.590.89(0.82, 0.96)b0.0020.92(0.85, 0.99)a0.033
    Thiazolidinediones   
    No345317310519.95333117854118.660.89(0.85, 0.94)c< 0.0010.91(0.87, 0.95)c< 0.001
    Yes3951349929.263691358127.170.9(0.78, 1.04)0.1410.89(0.77, 1.03)0.110
Table 3 Incidence and hazard ratios of liver cancer, stratified by the duration of LipoCol Forte capsules use
Variable
n
PY
IR
cHR
95%CI
P value
aHR1
95%CI
P value
Non-use of LipoCol Forte capsules as reference384818660420.6211.00Reference1.00Reference
    LipoCol Forte capsules    
    < 28 d311516179419.2530.9(0.86, 0.94)c< 0.0010.94(0.89, 0.98)b0.006
    28-84 d5332787119.1240.87(0.79, 0.95)b0.0020.79(0.72, 0.87)c< 0.001
    > 84 d52245721.1650.99(0.75, 1.3)0.9250.64(0.48, 0.84)b0.001
Table 4 Cox proportional hazard model estimated hazard ratio among cumulative dose of LipoCol Forte capsules
Variable
n
PY
IR
cHR
95%CI
P value
aHR1
95%CI
P value
Non-use of LFC as reference3848186604.220.62121.00(Reference)-1.00(Reference)-
    LFC dose (g)   
    < 91318215837920.090.94(0.9, 0.98)b0.00890.98(0.94, 1.03)0.4435
    91-1793662156816.970.77(0.69, 0.86)c<0.0010.69(0.62, 0.77)c< 0.001
    > 1791521217512.480.55(0.47, 0.65)c<0.0010.46(0.39, 0.55)c< 0.001
Table 5 The risk of liver cancer by stratified follow-up years
Follow-up time
Non-LFC users
LFC users
cHR
95%CI
aHR1
95%CI
n
PY
IR
n
PY
IR
2-3 yr13679329414.6513329281914.350.98(0.91, 1.06)1.01(0.93, 1.09)
4-6 yr15546386824.3314016406321.870.9(0.84, 0.97)b0.92(0.86, 0.99)a
> 6 yr9272944231.499673524127.440.77(0.7, 0.84)c0.75(0.68, 0.82)c