Table 4.

Associations of baseline characteristics with arterial function in 177 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Characteristic	Arterial Stiffness		Wave Reflection						Pressure Pulsatility
	Pulse wave velocity		Augmentation index		Reflected wave pressure		Reflection magnitude		Central systolic BP		Central pulse pressure		Peripheral pulse pressure¹		Pulse pressure amplification		Forward wave pressure
	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p	Partial r	p
Age	0.37	< 0.01	0.03	0.7	0.30	< 0.01	0.10	0.2	0.20	0.01	0.31	< 0.01	0.38	< 0.01	−0.13	0.1	0.22	0.01
Female	−0.09	0.3	0.22	0.01	0.14	0.08	0.19	0.01	0.01	0.9	0.09	0.2	0.07	0.4	−0.17	0.03	−0.05	0.5
Heart rate	0.05	0.6	−0.42	< 0.01	−0.54	< 0.01	−0.56	< 0.01	−0.24	< 0.01	−0.41	< 0.01	0.04	0.6	0.70	< 0.01	0.08	0.3
Body height	0.02	0.8	−0.19	0.02	−0.17	0.03	−0.17	0.03	−0.06	0.5	−0.14	0.08	−0.04	0.6	0.19	0.01	−0.05	0.5
SBP	0.15	0.06	0.20	0.01	0.64	< 0.01	0.23	< 0.01	0.66	< 0.01	0.63	< 0.01	—	—	−0.16	0.04	0.47	< 0.01
DBP	0.06	0.5	0.03	0.7	−0.36	< 0.01	−0.06	0.5	0.07	0.4	−0.37	< 0.01	—	—	−0.05	0.5	−0.28	< 0.01
Exercise	−0.01	0.9	−0.11	0.2	−0.10	0.2	−0.06	0.5	−0.15	0.05	−0.11	0.2	−0.12	0.1	0.10	0.2	−0.07	0.4
Alcohol	0.06	0.5	0.09	0.2	−0.01	0.9	0.11	0.1	−0.04	0.7	−0.04	0.6	−0.16	0.02	−0.13	0.1	−0.10	0.2
BMI²	−0.11	0.2	−0.22	< 0.01	−0.19	0.02	−0.13	0.09	−0.14	0.08	−0.13	0.1	0.01	0.9	0.23	< 0.01	−0.02	0.8
Waist	−0.06	0.5	−0.15	0.07	−0.12	0.1	−0.09	0.3	−0.03	0.7	−0.07	0.4	0.02	0.8	0.19	0.02	−0.02	0.8
WHR	0.05	0.6	−0.06	0.4	−0.06	0.5	−0.03	0.7	0.06	0.5	−0.06	0.5	0.03	0.7	0.18	0.02	−0.06	0.5
Statin	0.06	0.5	−0.04	0.6	0.04	0.6	−0.08	0.3	0.21	0.01	0.10	0.2	0.05	0.5	0.09	0.2	0.10	0.2
Insulin treatment	−0.07	0.4	0.10	0.2	0.00	1.0	0.10	0.2	−0.16	0.04	−0.01	0.9	0.16	0.04	−0.12	0.1	−0.06	0.4
RA duration³	0.18	0.03	0.09	0.3	0.29	< 0.01	0.14	0.07	0.20	0.01	0.28	< 0.01	0.21	0.01	−0.12	0.1	0.17	0.03
CRP	−0.13	0.1	−0.07	0.4	−0.10	0.2	0.08	0.3	−0.12	0.1	−0.16	0.04	0.17	0.03	0.08	0.3	−0.16	0.05
Deformed joint	0.01	0.9	0.07	0.4	0.14	0.08	0.06	0.5	0.19	0.01	0.15	0.06	−0.00	1.0	−0.02	0.8	0.13	0.1
RF-positive	0.02	0.9	0.09	0.3	0.17	0.03	0.10	0.22	0.06	0.4	0.14	0.07	0.07	0.4	−0.17	0.03	0.08	0.3
WCC	0.00	1.0	0.10	0.1	0.15	0.07	0.17	0.03	0.09	0.3	0.11	0.2	0.10	0.2	−0.12	0.1	−0.01	0.9
Methotrexate	0.16	0.05	−0.05	0.6	0.03	0.7	−0.06	0.5	0.04	0.6	0.08	0.3	0.50	0.6	−0.01	0.9	0.11	0.2
Chloroquine	0.02	0.8	0.01	0.9	−0.03	0.7	0.03	0.7	−0.08	0.3	−0.04	0.6	−0.17	0.03	−0.02	0.8	−0.04	0.6
Tetracycline	0.07	0.4	−0.02	0.8	0.03	0.7	−0.07	0.4	0.05	0.5	0.06	0.5	−0.18	0.02	0.01	0.9	0.10	0.2
TNF-α inhibitor	−0.19	0.02	−0.14	0.08	−0.06	0.5	−0.09	0.3	−0.04	0.6	−0.01	0.9	0.05	0.5	0.16	0.04	0.04	0.6
CKD-EPI⁴	−0.28	< 0.01	0.16	0.07	−0.05	0.6	0.07	0.4	−0.03	0.7	−0.09	0.3	−0.25	< 0.01	−0.10	0.2	−0.13	0.1
Total cholesterol	0.02	0.8	0.20	0.01	0.03	0.7	0.21	0.01	0.01	0.9	−0.04	0.6	0.07	0.4	−0.20	0.01	−0.13	0.09
HDL cholesterol	0.09	0.3	0.20	0.01	0.14	0.08	0.22	< 0.01	−0.07	0.4	0.05	0.6	0.04	0.6	−0.22	< 0.01	−0.08	0.3
HOMA-IR	−0.03	0.8	−0.20	0.02	−0.07	0.4	−0.07	0.4	−0.03	0.7	−0.02	0.8	0.11	0.2	0.09	0.3	−0.00	1.0

Associations were assessed in age, sex, race, body height, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic BP adjusted linear regression models with exceptions as stated below. Non-normally distributed variables were log transformed prior to being entered in the models. Significant associations are shown in bold.
↵¹Systolic and diastolic BP were not included in the models because these characteristics form part of brachial BP measurements.
↵²Body height was not entered into the models because this characteristic is included in BMI calculation.
↵³Age at time of the study was replaced by age at disease onset, to avoid duplication.
↵⁴Age, sex, and race were not entered into the models because these characteristics are included in CKD-EPI calculation. SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; BMI: body mass index; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; WHR: waist-hip ratio; CRP: C-reactive protein; RF: rheumatoid factor; WCC: white cell (leukocyte) count; TNF: tumor necrosis factor; CKD-EPI: Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; HOMA-IR: homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance.