Patient characteristics by tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor use. Data are number of patients (%) or median (interquartile range).
| Characteristic | Overall, n = 807 | Never Used, n = 629 | Ever Used, n = 178 | p* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 247 (31) | 187 (30) | 60 (34) | 0.282 |
| White | 775 (96) | 607 (96) | 168 (94) | 0.194 |
| Hypertension | 541 (67) | 425 (68) | 116 (65) | 0.508 |
| Diabetes | 270 (34) | 220 (35) | 50 (28) | 0.065 |
| Positive rheumatoid factor (known = 662) | 505 (76) | 394 (76) | 111 (77) | 0.932 |
| Medication use (ever) | ||||
| NSAID | 386 (48) | 290 (46) | 96 (54) | 0.078 |
| Steroids | 542 (67) | 415 (66) | 127 (71) | 0.197 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 237 (29) | 194 (31) | 43 (24) | 0.062 |
| Methotrexate | 369 (46) | 260 (41) | 109 (61) | < 0.001 |
| Etanercept | 98 (12) | — | 98 (55) | |
| Adalimumab | 59 (7) | — | 59 (33) | |
| Infliximab | 27 (3) | — | 27 (15) | |
| Statins | 343 (43) | 264 (42) | 79 (44) | 0.634 |
| Statin potency | ||||
| Low | 44 (5) | 35 (6) | 9 (5) | 0.792 |
| Medium | 171 (21) | 135 (21) | 36 (20) | 0.721 |
| High | 152 (19) | 114 (18) | 38 (21) | 0.331 |
| Other lipid lowering | 76 (9) | 57 (9) | 19 (10) | 0.698 |
| Age at RA diagnosis, yrs | 60.0 (51–71) | 62.0 (53–71) | 55.0 (48–63) | < 0.001 |
| BMI (known = 783) | 29.8 (26–35) | 29.8 (26–34) | 29.9 (26–36) | 0.178 |
| BMI maximum | 32.5 (28–38) | 32.5 (28–38) | 32.4 (28–39) | 0.640 |
| BMI closest to RA diagnosis | 29.8 (26–35) | 29.8 (26–35) | 29.7 (26–35) | 0.834 |
| Initial LDL | 105 (82–130) | 118 (91–144) | 118 (97–140) | 0.515 |
| Initial HDL | 53 (43–65) | 57 (47–69) | 60 (49–71) | 0.129 |
| Initial triglyceride | 134.5 (97–199) | 154 (112–219) | 168 (118–249) | 0.134 |
| Initial total cholesterol | 190 (165–219) | 204 (173–237) | 201 (185–231) | 0.394 |
| ESR (known = 673) | 23.5 (12–41) | 25 (12.5–42.5) | 22 (10.7–34) | 0.018 |
↵* Chi-square tests (frequencies) or Wilcoxon’s test (medians). NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; BMI: body mass index; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate.