Cox regression model results demonstrating (A) the mean number of antibiotic purchases per follow-up year, and (B) LPS activity, as risk factors for incident severe diabetic retinopathy with prospective, longitudinal ETDRS scores as a time-dependent covariate included in the models to adjust for background retinopathy
| Covariate | HR (95% CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| Mean number of antibiotic purchases per follow-up year | 1.05 (0.93–1.18) | 0.43 |
| Age (years) | 1.00 (0.98–1.01) | 0.46 |
| Duration of diabetes (years) | 0.96(0.94–0.98) | <0.001 |
| Sex | 0.84 (0.65–1.0.8) | 0.17 |
| Longitudinal ETDRS scores* | 1.07 (1.06–1.07) | <0.001 |
| B | ||
| LPS activity (EU/mL) | 1.63 (1.02–2.60) | 0.04 |
| Freeze time (years) | 0.97 (0.94–1.00) | 0.06 |
| Age (years) | 1.00 (0.98–1.01) | 0.26 |
| Duration of diabetes (years) | 0.96 (0.95–0.98) | <0.001 |
| Sex | 0.88 (0.68–1.15) | 0.36 |
| Longitudinal ETDRS scores* | 1.06 (1.05–1.07) | <0.001 |
*Longitudinal scores used as a time-dependent covariate in the model. Bold values indicates P<0.05.
LPS activity, bacterial lipopolysaccharide activity; HR, hazard ratio; ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study.