Cardiovascular risk factor profiles in black compared to white patients with RA. Dichotomous variables are expressed as proportions or percentages and continuous characteristics as mean ± SD. Significant associations are shown in bold type.
| Characteristics | Black, n = 121 | White, n = 122 | OR* (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 89.3 | 77.9 | — |
| Major conventional CV risk factors | |||
| Hypertension | 71.9 | 45.9 | 2.43 (1.00–5.94) |
| T chol/HDL chol > 4 | 22.2 | 15.8 | 1.78 (0.56–5.64) |
| Smoking | 3.3 | 9.9 | 0.22 (0.05–1.05) |
| Diabetes | 16.5 | 7.4 | 1.78 (0.47–6.65) |
| Other conventional CV/predisposing risk factors | |||
| Alcohol use | 2.5 | 38.0 | 0.05 (0.01–0.15) |
| Exercise | 39.7 | 33.3 | 0.93 (0.39–2.18) |
| Marital status | |||
| Unmarried | 38.0 | 7.4 | 2.88 (0.92–9.05) |
| Married | 37.2 | 75.4 | 0.52 (0.22–1.26) |
| Divorced | 8.3 | 9.0 | 0.82 (0.19–3.42) |
| Widowed | 16.5 | 8.2 | 1.56 (0.38–6.39) |
| Nonconventional CV risk factors | |||
| Rheumatoid factor-positive | 50.5 | 48.3 | 1.02 (0.38–2.75) |
| Extraarticular manifestations | 2.5 | 12.3 | 0.19 (0.05–0.67) |
| Antirheumatic agent used | |||
| NSAID | 7.4 | 27.0 | 3.18 (0.56–18.16) |
| Prednisone | 1.7 | 3.3 | 0.50 (0.09–2.78) |
| Continuous variables, mean ± SD | p* | ||
| Age, yrs | 55.8 ± 10.1 | 58.2 ± 11.4 | — |
| Major conventional CV risk factors | |||
| Systolic blood pressure | 140 ± 24 | 128 ± 17 | 0.5 |
| Diastolic blood pressure | 86 ± 15 | 79 ± 9 | 0.02 |
| T chol, mmol/l | 4.7 ± 0.9 | 5.0 ± 1.1 | 0.03 |
| HDL chol†, mmol/l | 1.48 ± 1.34 | 1.61 ± 1.03 | 0.05 |
| T chol/HDL chol | 3.2 ± 1.1 | 3.2 ± 1.0 | 0.6 |
| LDL chol, mmol/l | 2.6 ± 0.8 | 2.8 ± 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Non-HDL chol, mol/l | 3.1 ± 0.9 | 3.3 ± 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Pack-year history of smoking†, yrs | 0.1 ± 1.7 | 2.8 ± 5.2 | 0.008 |
| Major risk factors, n | 1.2 ± 0.8 | 0.8 ± 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Framingham score† | 2.6 ± 3.0 | 2.9 ± 3.0 | 0.5 |
| Other conventional CV/predisposing risk factors | |||
| Exercise†, hours per wk | 0.6 ± 2.0 | 0.6 ± 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Education, yrs | 7.4 ± 4.1 | 13.0 ± 2.7 | 0.0002 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 29.4 ± 6.6 | 25.6 ± 4.7 | 0.003 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 93.4 ± 13.4 | 88.8 ± 13.0 | 0.08 |
| Waist/hip† | 0.85 ± 3.65 | 0.86 ± 1.11 | 0.6 |
| Triglycerides†, mmol/l | 1.08 ± 1.71 | 1.08 ± 1.51 | 0.6 |
| AIMS tension† | 3.8 ± 1.5 | 2.8 ± 1.7 | 0.1 |
| AIMS depression† | 3.2 ± 1.5 | 1.8 ± 1.7 | 0.1 |
| Nonconventional CV risk factors | |||
| Disease duration, yrs | 12.8 ± 9.2 | 14.3 ± 9.3 | 0.5 |
| DAS28 | 4.1 ± 1.3 | 3.6 ± 1.6 | 0.3 |
| CRP†, mg/l | 7.0 ± 3.1 | 4.3 ± 3.7 | 0.9 |
| HAQ score† | 0.54 ± 0.41 | 0.37 ± 0.43 | 0.5 |
| Deformed joints† | 6 ± 2 | 4 ± 4 | 0.08 |
| No. DMARD | 2.5 ± 1.0 | 2.2 ± 0.9 | 0.4 |
CV: cardiovascular; T: total; chol: cholesterol; BMI: body mass index; AIMS: Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales; DAS28: Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; CRP: C-reactive protein; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; LDL: low-density lipoprotein.
↵* OR and p value for comparisons between black and white Africans after adjustment for age, sex, and healthcare center as well as lipid-lowering and antihypertensive agents in models that include lipid and systolic and diastolic blood pressure variables, respectively.
↵† Logarithmically transformed variables for which geometric means (SD) are given.