Demographic and laboratory data and disease-related characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls.
| Characteristics | Controls, n = 210 | RA, n = 151 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 58 ± 9 | 53 ± 11 | < 0.001 |
| Female, n (%) | 148 (70) | 120 (79) | 0.052 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 28 ± 5 | 28 ± 5 | 0.78 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 92 ± 14 | 96 ± 13 | 0.015 |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | |||
| Smoking | 42 (20) | 26 (17) | 0.51 |
| Hypertension | 58 (27) | 45 (30) | 0.65 |
| Dyslipidemia | 151 (72) | 93 (62) | 0.023 |
| Diabetes | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | — |
| Medication | |||
| Statins | 14 (6) | 43 (28) | < 0.001 |
| Antihypertensive treatment | 35 (16) | 45 (30) | 0.003 |
| Analytical data | |||
| CRP, mg/l | 1.0 (1.0–3.0) | 3.2 (1.5–5.8) | < 0.001 |
| ESR, mm/1st h | 10 ± 8 | 34 ± 22 | < 0.001 |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 104 ± 50 | 144 ± 92 | < 0.001 |
| HDL-C, mg/dl | 63 ± 18 | 56 ± 15 | < 0.001 |
| LDL-C, mg/dl | 135 ± 34 | 121 ± 31 | < 0.001 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 219 ± 37 | 206 ± 36 | 0.001 |
| Lipoprotein A, mg/dl | 16 (9–39) | 35 (11–121) | < 0.001 |
| Apolipoprotein A1, mg/dl | 191 ± 35 | 170 ± 28 | < 0.001 |
| Apolipoprotein B, mg/dl | 102 ± 24 | 110 ± 63 | 0.11 |
| ApoB : ApoA ratio | 0.55 ± 0.16 | 0.66 ± 0.30 | < 0.001 |
| Atherogenic index | 3.7 ± 4.0 | 4.0 ± 3.6 | 0.10 |
| Disease-related data | |||
| Disease duration, yrs | 6.6 (3.3–13.9) | ||
| ACPA, n (%) | 89 (59) | ||
| Rheumatoid factor, n (%) | 109 (72) | ||
| Erosions, n (%) | 55 (36) | ||
| Extraarticular manifestations, n (%) | 16 (11) | ||
| DAS28-ESR | 3.7 ± 1.2 | ||
| DAS 28-CRP | 2.9 ± 1.0 | ||
| SDAI | 15 (8–21) | ||
| CDAI | 9 (5–16) | ||
| HAQ | 0.630 (0.380–1.130) | ||
| Current prednisone, n (%) | 57 (38) | ||
| Prednisone current doses, mg/day | 5 (5–6) | ||
| NSAID, n (%) | 69 (46) | ||
| DMARD, n (%) | 129 (85) | ||
| Methotrexate, n (%) | 113 (75) | ||
| Biologic drugs, n (%) | 35 (23) | ||
| Anti-TNF-α drugs, n (%) | 20 (13) |
Data expressed as mean (± SD) or median (interquartile range); dichotomous variables are expressed as n (%). Values in bold face are statistically significant. DAS28: 28-joint count Disease Activity Score; ACPA: anticitrullinated protein antibody; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire; SDAI: Simple Disease Activity Index; CDAI: Clinical Disease Activity Index; HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; TNF: tumor necrosis factor.