Characteristics of the study population by exposition to GIIs, no (%)
| Characteristics | Not exposed to GIIs; n=177 993 (77.9) | Exposed to GIIs; n=50 492 (22.1) |
| Age (SD)* | 67.5 (10.7) | 68.6 (12.0) |
| Men | 77 355 (43.5) | 19 184 (38.0) |
| Women | 100 638 (56.6) | 31 308 (62.0) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 72 574 (40.8) | 24 629 (48.8) |
| Cerebrovascular diseases | 64 749 (36.4) | 24 176 (47.9) |
| Hypertension | 147 078 (82.6) | 45 612 (90.3) |
| Ischaemic heart diseases | 78 948 (44.4) | 28 347 (56.1) |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 67 242 (37.8) | 22 590 (44.7) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 40 208 (22.6) | 15 159 (30.0) |
| Smoking-related cancers | 19 839 (11.2) | 6831 (13.5) |
| Intracranial injury | 7835 (4.4) | 3422 (6.8) |
| n=228 485 | ||
*Mean age in years at 1 January 2005.
GIIs, GI infections.