Baseline cohort characteristics.
| Characteristics | N = 17,415 |
|---|---|
| Age, yrs | |
| < 50 | 1991 (11) |
| 50–65 | 7596 (44) |
| 65–80 | 6244 (36) |
| ≥ 80 | 1584 (9) |
| Female | 2029 (12) |
| White | 12763 (73) |
| Nonwhite | 2996 (17) |
| Unknown | 1656 (10) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 29.3 ± 5.8, n = 16,318 |
| Current smoker | 7043 (40.4) |
| Anti-CCP–positivea | 6956/12,105 (57) |
| RF-positivea | 8610/13,863 (62) |
| CRP, mg/dl | 0.7 (0.4–1.8), n = 9536 |
| Depression | 6098 (35) |
| Anxiety | 3404 (20) |
| PTSD | 2838 (16) |
| Diabetes | 4334 (25) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 132 (1) |
| Cancer | 1460 (8) |
| COPD/asthma | 3505 (20) |
| Heart failure | 807 (5) |
| Myocardial infarction | 326 (2) |
| Interstitial lung disease | 561 (3) |
| Charlson score | 1 (1, 2) |
| Glucocorticoidsb | 8465 (49) |
| HCQc | 3753 (21.6) |
| LEFc | 191 (1) |
| SSZc | 981 (6) |
| Prior conventional DMARD | 5900 (34) |
Data are shown as n (%), mean ± SD, or median (IQR). Denominators provided in cases of missing data.
↵a 7839/11062 (70.9%) with positive RF or anti-CCP.
↵b Glucocorticoid use defined as medication course for prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, or dexamethasone overlapping within 90 days before or 30 days after MTX initiation.
↵c Concomitant HCQ, LEF, or SSZ use defined as active use 30 days after the MTX start date. CCP: cyclic citrullinated peptide; CRP: C-reactive protein; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; RF: rheumatoid factor; PTSD: posttraumatic stress disorder; HCQ: hydroxychloroquine; LEF: leflunomide; SSZ: sulfasalazine; MTX: methotrexate; IQR: interquartile range; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug.