Characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to disease activity measures.
| CDAI | SDA | I | DAS28 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remission | LDA | MDA + HDA | MDA + HDA vs Remission | Remission | LDA | MDA + HDA | MDA + HDA vs Remission | Remission | LDA | MDA + HDA | MDA + HDA vs Remission | |
| ≤ 2.8 | > 2.8 and ≤ 10 | > 10 | p | ≤ 3.3 | > 3.3 and ≤ 11 | > 11 | p | < 2.6 | ≥ 2.6 and ≤ 3.2 | > 3.2 | p | |
| No. patients | 43 | 71 | 31 | 43 | 68 | 34 | 78 | 27 | 40 | |||
| Age, yrs, median (IQR) | 64.1 (55.7–72.6) | 63.5 (54.0–70.9) | 60.0 (51.0–65.7) | 0.07 | 61.7 (53.6–69.2) | 63.5 (54.0–70.9) | 60.4 (51.7–68.6) | 0.53 | 62.4 (53.2–70.4) | 63.5 (54.4–69.8) | 61.7 (53.6–72.2) | 0.91 |
| Sex, female/male | 30/13 (69.8/30.2) | 55/17 (76.4/23.6) | 25/6 (80.6/19.4) | 0.29 | 31/11 (73.8/26.2) | 50/18 (73.5/25.5) | 29/6 (82.9/17.1) | 0.34 | 55/23 (70.5/29.5) | 23/5 (82.1/17.9) | 32/8 (80.0/20.0) | 0.27 |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | ||||||||||||
| Smoking ever-never | 27 (62.8) | 50 (69.4) | 18 (58.1) | 0.81 | 25 (59.5) | 48 (70.6) | 21 (60.0) | 0.84 | 54 (69.2) | 17 (60.7) | 24 (60.0) | 0.41 |
| Systolic BP, mm Hg | 131.3 ± 20.2 | 136.3 ±21.3 | 133.7 ± 18.4 | 0.60 | 130.9 ± 20.5 | 134.9 ± 19.8 | 137.1 ± 21.5 | 0.20 | 132.1 ± 20.3 | 135.8 ± 18.3 | 137.5 ± 21.8 | 0.19 |
| Diastolic BP, mm Hg | 79.1 ± 10.0 | 80.7 ± 9.6 | 81.1 ± 9.3 | 0.38 | 79.1 ± 9.7 | 80.2 ± 10.1 | 81.9 ± 8.6 | 0.18 | 79.2 ± 10.2 | 82.0 ± 9.3 | 81.4 ± 8.5 | 0.22 |
| Diabetes | 1 (2.3) | 8 (11.1) | 4 (12.9) | 0.08 | 1 (2.4) | 7 (10.3) | 5 (14.3) | 0.06 | 6 (7.7) | 1 (3.6) | 6 (15.0) | 0.22 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.2 ± 3.7 | 26.0 ± 5.5 | 26.3 ± 4.9 | 0.27 | 25.6 ± 4.2 | 26.1 ± 5.4 | 25.7 ± 4.8 | 0.92 | 25.7 ± 4.4 | 26.2 ± 6.0 | 26.0 ± 5.0 | 0.74 |
| Familial CVD | 6 (14.0) | 8 (11.1) | 4 (12.9) | 0.98 | 5 (11.9) | 9 (13.2) | 4 (11.4) | 0.99 | 10 (12.8) | 3 (10.7) | 5 (12.5) | 0.94 |
| CVD measures | ||||||||||||
| CVD | 3 (7.0) | 12 (16.7) | 6 (19.4) | 0.10 | 3 (7.1) | 11 (16.2) | 7 (20.0) | 0.09 | 10 (12.8) | 2 (7.1) | 9 (22.5) | 0.16 |
| Intima-media thickness, mm | 0.76 ± 0.16 | 0.79 ± 0.20 | 0.74 ± 0.18 | 0.65 | 0.77 ± 0.16 | 0.78 ± 0.20 | 0.76 ± 0.19 | 0.92 | 0.77 ± 0.17 | 0.76 ± 0.17 | 0.78 ± 0.22 | 0.80 |
| Patients with carotid plaques | 23 (53.5) | 49 (68.1) | 14 (45.2) | 0.48 | 22 (52.4) | 45 (66.2) | 18 (51.4) | 0.93 | 48 (61.5) | 15 (53.6) | 23 (57.5) | 0.67 |
| No. carotid plaques | 1.95 ± 0.98 | 2.08 ± 0.98 | 2.00 ± 1.11 | 0.90 | 1.86 ± 1.04 | 2.04 ± 0.93 | 2.17 ± 1.10 | 0.38 | 1.85 ± 0.90 | 2.07 ± 1.03 | 2.39 ± 1.08 | 0.37 |
| No. GSM plaques Lipids | 1.94 ± 1.03 | 1.92 ± 0.95 | 1.83 ± 0.94 | 0.78 | 2.00 ± 1.13 | 1.82 ± 0.80 | 1.94 ± 1.12 | 0.88 | 1.85 ± 0.91 | 1.73 ± 0.90 | 2.09 ± 1.06 | 0.37 |
| Total cholesterol | 6.1 ± 1.3 | 5.7 ± 1.2 | 5.2 ± 1.1 | 0.001 | 6.1 ± 1.2 | 5.7 ± 1.3 | 5.3 ± 1.1 | 0.006 | 5.8 ± 1.4 | 5.79 ± 1.1 | 5.47 ± 1.1 | 0.22 |
| HDL cholesterol | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.38 | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 1.7 ± 0.5 | 0.49 | 1.8 ± 0.7 | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 1.7 ± 0.5 | 0.26 |
| Triglycerides, median (IQR) | 1.1 (0.8–1.5) | 1.1 (0.8–1.5) | 1.1 (0.8–1.7) | 0.66 | 1.1 (0.8–1.5) | 1.1 (0.8–1.5) | 1.1 (0.8–1.6) | 0.82 | 1.1 (0.7–1.5) | 1.1 (0.9 –1.5) | 1.1 (0.7–1.6) | 0.69 |
| LDL cholesterol | 3.7 ± 1.0 | 3.3 ± 1.0 | 2.9 ± 1.0 | 0.001 | 3.7 ± 1.1 | 3.3 ± 1.0 | 3.0 ± 1.1 | 0.005 | 3.4 ± 1.1 | 3.4 ± 1.0 | 3.2 ± 1.0 | 0.39 |
| Inflammatory markers | ||||||||||||
| ESR, mm/h, median (IQR) | 11.0 (6.0–18.0) | 13.0 (8.0–26.5) | 13.0 (5.0–26.0) | 0.40 | 10.0 (6.8–17.0) | 13.0 (8.0–25.8) | 17.0 (6.3–29.0) | 0.03 | 9.0 (6.0–14.0) | 14.0 (8.0–19.5) | 26.0 (13.5–34.0) | < 0.001 |
| CRP, mg/dl, median (IQR) | 2.0 (1.0–4.0) | 4.0 (2.0–9.0) | 4.0 (2.0–11.0) | 0.003 | 2.0 (1.0–3.3) | 4.0 (2.0–8.0) | 7.0 (3.0–21.0) | < 0.0001 | 3.0 (1.0–4.0) | 3.0 (1.0–8.0) | 7.5 (3.3–19.0) | < 0.001 |
Demographic data are presented as crude data, compared using Student 2-sample T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test as appropriate. Skewed variables were log-transformed. Median values are given as mean ± SD, numbers (%), skewed data as median with interquartile range (IQR). CDAI: Clinical Disease Activity Index; SDAI: Simplified Disease Activity Index; DAS28: Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint counts; LDA: low disease activity; MDA: moderate disease activity; HDA: high disease activity; BP: blood pressure; CVD: cardiovascular disease; GSM: Gray-Scale Median (lipids are mmol/l); HDL: high-density lipoprotein; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein.