|
Risk factors
|
Controls
|
Patients
|
P
|
|---|
|
Traditional risk factors
| | | |
|
Age (years)
|
44 (20–87)
|
57 (27–81)
|
<0.0001
|
|
Women (n [%])
|
64 (80)
|
64 (86)
|
0.3
|
|
Caucasian:asian (n:n)
|
87: 6
|
71: 9
|
0.3
|
|
Smokers (n [%])
|
25 (31)
|
17 (23)
|
0.3
|
|
Smoking (cigarettes/day)
|
0 (0–50)
|
0 (0–40)
|
0.5
|
|
Alcohol users (n [%])
|
37 (47)
|
26 (35)
|
0.2
|
|
Alcohol (units/week)
|
0 (0–40)
|
0 (0–35)
|
0.4
|
|
Exercisers (n [%])
|
43 (54)
|
19 (26)
|
0.0004
|
|
Exercise (hours/week)
|
1 (0–20)
|
0 (0–7)
|
0.0002
|
|
Diabetes (n [%])
|
0 (0)
|
5 (7)
|
0.02
|
|
Body mass index (kg/m2)
|
24.3 (17.9–33.8)
|
23.7 (17.9–38.3)
|
1.0
|
|
Waist (cm)
|
81 (60–109)
|
85 (66–120)
|
0.01
|
|
SBP (mmHg)
|
115 (83–150)
|
123 (98–164)
|
<0.0001
|
|
DBP (mmHg)
|
71 (47–100)
|
82 (67–109)
|
<0.0001
|
|
Total cholesterol (mmol/l)
|
5.3 (2.1–7.9)
|
5.1 (3.5–7.5)
|
0.4
|
|
HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)
|
1.5 (0.4–2.3)
|
1.6 (0.8–2.6)
|
0.4
|
|
Triglycerides (mmol/l)
|
1.0 (0.5–4.7)
|
1.2 (0.5–2.6)
|
0.04
|
|
Nontraditional risk factors
| | | |
|
hs-CRP (mg/l)
|
1.6 (0.3–8.9)
|
10.8 (0.3–256)
|
<0.0001
|
|
IL-1 (pg/ml)
|
0.7 (0–42.7)
|
3.5 (0.1–323)
|
<0.0001
|
|
IL-6 (pg/ml)
|
0.8 (0.1–8.2)
|
5.4 (0.5–186.3)
|
<0.0001
|
|
TNF-α (pg/ml)
|
0.2 (0.2–32.6)
|
3.0 (0.3–93.2)
|
<0.0001
|
|
Cytokine suppressant therapy
| | | |
|
DMARD use (n [%])
|
0 (0)
|
56 (76)
|
<0.0001
|
|
Prednisone use (n [%])
|
0 (0)
|
11 (15)
|
0.0003
|
- Results are expressed as median (range) unless indicated otherwise. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-test (continuous variables) or the χ2 test (dichotomous variables). DBP, diastolic blood pressure; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; IL, interleukin; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SBP, systolic blood pressure; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.
