Baseline characteristics of patient groups.
| Characteristics | Total Cohort | Anti-TNF during Followup | No Anti-TNF during Followup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients, n (%) | 1977 | 539 (27.3) | 1418 (71.7) |
| Age, yrs, mean (median) | 59.9 (61.3) | 50.4 (51.7) | 63.6 (66.0) |
| RA duration, yrs, mean (median) | 9.6 (4.0) | 7.2 (3.0) | 10.5 (5.0) |
| Women, n (%) | 1435 (72.6) | 420 (77.9) | 999 (70.5) |
| Previous ExRA, n (%) | 72 (3.6) | 20 (3.7) | 52 (3.7) |
| HAQ score*, mean (SD) | 1.02 (0.76) | 1.12 (0.69) | 0.97 (0.79) |
| VAS pain*, mm, mean (SD) | 42.9 (26.9) | 44.6 (25.6) | 42.0 (27.5) |
| VAS global health*, mm, mean (SD) | 41.7 (26.5) | 42.9 (24.9) | 40.9 (27.2) |
| RF-positive, n (%) | 1209 (73.6) | 387 (83.9) | 806 (69.2) |
| MTX*, n (%) | 679 (45.3) | 291 (58.7) | 380 (38.6) |
| csDMARD except MTX*, n (%) | 760 (50.7) | 196 (39.5) | 554 (56.3) |
| Glucocorticoids*, n (%) | 422 (28.2) | 202 (40.7) | 213 (21.6) |
↵* Based on first available questionnaire. Twenty patients had a first biologic agent other than a TNF inhibitor, and were excluded from the analyses of anti-TNF treatment during followup. Data on HAQ were available from 1623 patients (538 anti-TNF–treated, 1065 not anti-TNF–treated), on VAS pain from 1501 patients (458 anti-TNF–treated, 1023 not anti-TNF–treated), on VAS global health from 1498 patients (458 anti-TNF–treated, 1020 not anti-TNF–treated), and on pharmacological treatment from 1498 patients (496 anti-TNF–treated, 984 not anti-TNF–treated). HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire; VAS: visual analog scale; TNF: tumor necrosis factor; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; ExRA: extraarticular RA; RF: rheumatoid factor; csDMARD: conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; MTX: methotrexate.