Pooled difference in overall IMT (mean of right and left CCA) in subgroups of studies stratified by the level of disease activity as measured by BASDAI or the proportion of patients treated with anti-TNF. Values are mean (95% CI) unless otherwise specified.
| Variables | Difference in Overall IMT | p |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-TNF ≤ 50% | 0.064, 95% CI 0.019–0.108 No. studies: 5 197 patients vs 180 controls | 0.0054 |
| Anti-TNF > 50% | 0.018, 95% CI −0.042 to 0.078 No. studies: 4 169 patients vs 166 controls | 0.5766 |
| BASDAI < 4 | 0.016, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.037 No. studies: 5 216 patients vs 192 controls | 0.1343 |
| BASDAI ≥ 4 | 0.097, 95% CI 0.077 to 0.117 No. studies: 5 199 patients vs 180 controls | < 0.001 |
IMT: intima-media thickness; CCA: common carotid artery; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; TNF: tumor necrosis factor.