Baseline characteristics of control subjects and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Variables are shown as median (interquartile range) unless otherwise indicated.
| Variables | Controls, n = 91 | RA, n = 167 | p* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, mean ± SD | 53.3 ± 11.6 | 54.2 ± 11.8 | 0.46 |
| % Women | 63 | 69 | 0.31 |
| % White | 85 | 89 | 0.36 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean ± SD | 28.5 ± 5.9 | 29.2 ± 6.7 | 0.46 |
| Current smokers, % | 9 | 24 | 0.003 |
| Hypertension, % | 38 | 53 | 0.03 |
| Diabetes, % | 4 | 11 | 0.06 |
| Cardiovascular disease, % | 10 | 14 | 0.37 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 129 (115–137) | 133 (118–146) | 0.07 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 195 (170–216) | 184 (157–211) | 0.09 |
| CRP, mg/l | 0.6 (0.2–1.5) | 4.0 (1.2–10.5) | < 0.001 |
| TNF-α, pg/ml | 3.3 (2.4–4.7) | 5.5 (2.8–11.0) | < 0.001 |
| IL-6, pg/ml | 4.2 (1.2–17.9) | 13.8 (4.4–43.0) | < 0.001 |
| Homocysteine, μmol/l | 8.2 (7.2–9.7) | 10.2 (8.1–11.9) | < 0.001 |
| Cystatin C, mg/l | 1.01 (0.90–1.19) | 1.16 (0.99–1.35) | < 0.001 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 0.8 (0.7–0.9) | 0.8 (0.7–0.9) | 0.62 |
| MDRD-eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2 | 90.6 (81.7–100.1) | 92.8 (78.4–109.5) | 0.53 |
| Coronary calcium score, Agatston units | 0.0 (0–19.2) | 2.7 (0–150.4) | 0.02 |
↵* Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparing continuous variables, and categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test. BMI: body mass index; CRP: C-reactive protein; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; IL: interleukin; MDRD-eGFR: Modified Diet in Renal Disease formula estimated glomerular filtration rate.