Patient demographics.
| Characteristic | N | n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 4084 | 3114 (76.25) |
| White | 4084 | 3310 (81.05) |
| Age at disease onset ≥ 65 yrs | 4083 | 587 (14.38) |
| Rheumatoid factor-positive | 3779 | 2957 (78.25) |
| Comorbid asthma or COPD | 4084 | 455 (11.14) |
| Extraarticular manifestations (classified as associated with RA*) | 4084 | 907 (22.21) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 4084 | 171 (4.19) |
| Comorbid conditions classified as not associated with RA† | 4084 | 196 (4.80) |
| Prednisone use | 4084 | 2306 (56.46) |
| Biologic DMARD | 4084 | 1585 (38.81) |
| Nonbiologic DMARD classified as posing a significant infection risk | 4084 | 3281 (80.34) |
| Nonbiologic DMARD classified as not posing a significant infection risk | 4084 | 1488 (36.43) |
| Received > 10 mg/day oral prednisone or equivalent | 4084 | 975 (23.87) |
↵* Fever, Felty syndrome, vasculitis, Sjögren syndrome, interstitial lung disease, bronchiolitis, pleural effusion or thickening, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary nodules, ulcers, rash, nodules, uveitis, iritis, scleritis, episcleritis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, Raynaud syndrome, and pericarditis.
↵† Chronic liver disease, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, renal disease, and deep vein thrombosis. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; RA: rheumatoid arthritis.