Recorded characteristics in 236 patients with RA. Dichotomous variables are expressed as proportions or percentages and continuous characteristics as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range).
| Demographic characteristics | |
| Age at disease onset, yrs | 43.5 (13.0) |
| Age at study time, yrs | 57.1 (10.8) |
| Female sex | 83.5 |
| Black | 48.3 |
| White | 51.7 |
| Lifestyle factors | |
| Exercise | 36.8 |
| Alcohol use | 20.9 |
| Current smoking | 6.8 |
| Anthropometry | |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 27.5 (6.0) |
| Waist circumference, cm | 91.2 (13.4) |
| Waist-hip ratio | 0.86 (80.3–91.3) |
| Cardiovascular agents | |
| Antihypertensives | 48.3 |
| Statins | 28.4 |
| Ezetimibe | 0.9 |
| Oral glucose-lowering agents | 8.9 |
| Insulin | 1.7 |
| RA characteristics | |
| Disease duration, yrs | 13.6 (9.3) |
| Rheumatoid factor-positive | 75.8 |
| Clinical Disease Activity Index | 7.3 (2.0–13.8) |
| Disease Activity Score in 28 joints | 3.9 (1.5) |
| Swollen joints | 1 (0–4) |
| Tender joints | 0 (0–2) |
| Patient disease activity | 3.3 (2.8) |
| Physician disease activity | 1.2 (0.0–3.0) |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mm/h | 12 (5–27) |
| C-reactive protein, mg/l | 5.3 (2.2–12.5) |
| Interleukin 6, pg/ml | 3.5 (2.2–5.9) |
| Leukocytes, n/nl | 5.9 (4.8–7.6) |
| No. deformed joints | 73.6 |
| Extraarticular manifestation | 7.6 |
| Synthetic disease-modifying agents | |
| Methotrexate | 84.3 |
| Chloroquine | 66.1 |
| Leflunomide | 19.7 |
| Sulfasalazine | 19.1 |
| Azathioprine | 14.8 |
| Tetracycline | 11.9 |
| Cyclophosphamide | 3.4 |
| Penicillamine | 3 |
| Number | 2.4 (0.9) |
| Prednisone use | 2.5 |
| Tumor necrosis factor-α blockade | 3.8 |
| Glomerular filtration rate, ml/min/1.73 m2 | 97 (81–114) |
| Framingham score | 2 (1–6) |
| Metabolic risk factors | |
| Conventional | |
| Hypertension | 59.3 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 134 (22) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 82 (13) |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/l | 4.8 (1.0) |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/l | 1.53 (1.30–1.89) |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/l | 2.7 (0.8) |
| Triglycerides, mmol/l | 1.0 (0.8–1.4) |
| Cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio | 3.2 (1.0) |
| Cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio > 4 | 18.2 |
| Non-HDL cholesterol, mmol/l | 3.2 (1.0) |
| Diabetes | 12.3 |
| Glucose, mmol/l | 4.7 (4.4–5.2) |
| Adipokines | |
| Leptin, pg/ml | 10,195 (5463– 18,531) |
| Total adiponectin, µg/ml | 7.36 (4.82–12.19) |
| High molecular adiponectin, µg/ml | 3.26 (1.72–5.77) |
| Leptin-adiponectin ratio | 1376 (548–2684) |
| Resistin, ng/ml | 33.9 (22.7–53.1) |
| Retinol binding protein 4, µg/ml | 19,846 (37,275) |
| Chemerin, ng/ml | 114 (35) |
| Endothelial activation molecules | |
| Early endothelial activation | |
| E-selectin, ng/ml | 39.1 (18.6) |
| VCAM-1, ng/ml | 833 (667–1041) |
| ICAM-1, ng/ml | 274 (211–352) |
| MCP-1, pg/ml | 424 (265–679) |
| Angiopoietin 2, pg/ml | 2560 (2044–3341) |
| Carotid atherosclerosis | |
| Intima-media thickness, mm | 0.708 (0.110) |
| Plaque | 40.3 |
RA: rheumatioid arthritis; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; VCAM-1: vascular adhesion molecule 1; ICAM-1: intercellular adhesion molecule 1; MCP-1: monocyte chemoattractant protein 1.