Basic characteristics of study participants by FGF-21 quartile at baseline.
| 1st Quartile | 2nd Quartile | 3rd Quartile | 4th Quartile | P* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | |
| Age, yrs | 49.7 (15.7) | 60.4 (8.5) | 54.8 (13.1) | 59.1 (8.9) | 0.004 |
| Female, n (%) | 17 (59) | 13 (46) | 11 (39) | 18 (64) | 0.23 |
| Black or African American, n (%) | 11 (38) | 10 (36) | 7 (25) | 10 (36) | 0.73 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.8 (5.0) | 28.2 (5.8) | 30.2 (7.6) | 32.1 (9.2) | 0.001 |
| ALMI Z-score | -0.69 (o.94) | -0.23 (0.78) | 0.09 (0.74) | -0.10 (1.52) | 0.04 |
| FMI Z-score | -0.71 (1.02) | -0.28 (1.29) | 0.07 (1.12) | 0.29 (1.20) | 0.01 |
| Visceral fat area, cm2 | 86.8 (49.0) | 129.4 (57.6) | 141.1 (61.7) | 180.3 (90.6) | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 2 (7) | 5 (18) | 3 (11) | 3 (11) | 0.63 |
| Cardiac disease, n (%) | 8 (28) | 15 (54) | 14 (50) | 22 (79) | 0.002 |
| Prior MI | 0 (0) | 2 (7) | 3 (11) | 3 (12) | 0.34 |
| Prior CABG | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | 0.56 |
| Prior DVT | 2 (7) | 0 (0) | 2 (7) | 2 (7) | 0.55 |
| Hypertension | 8 (28) | 12 (43) | 14 (50) | 22 (79) | 0.001 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (7) | 1 (4) | 0.27 |
| Prior stroke | 1 (3) | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | 2 (7) | 0.89 |
| Prior TIA | 0 (0) | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | 2 (7) | 0.55 |
| eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2 | 102.2 (25.5) | 96.7 (26.6) | 97.4 (19.6) | 88.9 (28.7) | 0.27 |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 4 (14) | 4 (14) | 10 (36) | 8 (29) | 0.13 |
| RA disease characteristics | |||||
| M-DAS-CRP | 2.24 (1.08) | 2.35 (1.42) | 2.16 (1.19) | 2.60 (1.13) | 0.55 |
| DAS28-CRP | 3.09 (1.20) | 2.95 (1.31) | 2.99 (1.19) | 3.48 (1.07) | 0.33 |
| HAQ score | 0.72 (0.61) | 0.64 (0.63) | 0.66 (0.59) | 1.12 (0.62) | 0.01 |
| SPPB | 12 (10–12) | 11 (10–12) | 11.5 (9–12) | 9 (8–11) | 0.02 |
| SvdH score | 13.5 (3–41) | 32 (6–77) | 6 (2–40) | 16.5 (6–73) | 0.29 |
| Disease duration, yrs | 5.9 (2.5–15.1) | 11.0 (5.3–21.0) | 7.1 (3.5–16.1) | 5.2 (0.9–26.0) | 0.57 |
| Current methotrexate, n (%) | 23 (79) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 16 (57) | 0.34 |
| Current biologic therapy, n (%) | 18 (62) | 13 (46) | 11 (39) | 16 (57) | 0.31 |
| Current prednisone, n (%) | 15 (52) | 11 (39) | 9 (32) | 16 (57) | 0.22 |
Results displayed as mean (SD) or median (IQR) for skewed data. Mean and SD of all Z-scores in controls are 0 ± 1 by definition.
↵*P values represent results of ANOVA, chi-square, or Kruskal-Wallis tests. ALMI: appendicular lean mass index; CABG: coronary artery bypass graft; CRP: C-reactive protein; DAS28: Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; DVT: deep vein thrombosis; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate; FGF: fibroblast growth factor; FMI: fat mass index; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire; M-DAS: modified Disease Activity Score; MI: myocardial infarction; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; SPPB: Short Physical Performance Battery; SvdH: Sharp/van der Heijde; TIA: transient ischemic attack.