Table 1 Characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and control subjects
Control subjects (n = 223) | Patients with RA (n = 178) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Age, years | 59 ± 9 | 55 ± 11 | 0.000 |
Female sex, n (%) | 155 (70) | 140 (79) | 0.063 |
Body mass index, kg/m2 | 28 ± 5 | 28 ± 5 | 0.74 |
Abdominal circumference, cm | 93 ± 14 | 97 ± 13 | 0.006 |
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 133 ± 15 | 137 ± 19 | 0.018 |
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 82 ± 10 | 83 ± 12 | 0.36 |
Cardiovascular comorbidity | |||
Smoking, n (%) | 45 (20) | 29 (16) | 0.29 |
Diabetes, n (%) | 10 (4) | 27 (15) | 0.000 |
Hypertension, n (%) | 64 (29) | 62 (35) | 0.22 |
Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 41 (18) | 71 (40) | 0.000 |
Antihypertensive treatment, n (%) | 38 (17) | 63 (35) | 0.000 |
Statins, n (%) | 22 (10) | 60 (34) | 0.000 |
Hormone replacement therapy, n (%) | 7 (3) | 0 (0) | 0.018 |
Laboratory examinations, including lipid profile | |||
ESR, mm/h | 10 ± 8 | 35 ± 22 | 0.000 |
CRP, mg/dl | 1.0 (1.0–3.0) | 3.3 (1.6–6.1) | 0.34 |
Cholesterol, mg/dl | 218 ± 39 | 206 ± 37 | 0.001 |
Triglycerides, mg/dl | 105 ± 52 | 151 ± 92 | 0.000 |
HDL cholesterol, mg/dl | 63 ± 17 | 56 ± 16 | 0.000 |
LDL cholesterol, mg/dl | 134 ± 36 | 120 ± 33 | 0.000 |
Lipoprotein A, mg/dl | 16 (9–35) | 33 (10–121) | 0.000 |
Apolipoprotein A, mg/dl | 191 ± 35 | 170 ± 28 | 0.000 |
Apolipoprotein B, mg/dl | 102 ± 24 | 109 ± 59 | 0.13 |
ApoB/ApoA ratio | 0.55 ± 0.16 | 0.65 ± 0.29 | 0.000 |
Atherogenic index | 3.72 ± 1.14 | 4.02 ± 1.51 | 0.036 |
Cholesterol efflux capacity, % | 16.9 ± 10.4 | 18.9 ± 9.0 | 0.11 |
Rheumatoid arthritis-related data | |||
Disease duration, years | 7 (4–15) | ||
Age at onset, years | 45 ± 13 | ||
DAS28 | 3.74 ± 1.19 | ||
Remission, n (%) | 38 (21) | ||
Low activity, n (%) | 29 (16) | ||
Moderate activity, n (%) | 84 (47) | ||
High activity, n (%) | 27 (15) | ||
DAS28-CRP | 2.94 ± 0.99 | ||
SDAI | 14 (8–21) | ||
CDAI | 82 (40–112) | ||
Rheumatoid factor, n (%) | 119 (67) | ||
ACPA, n (%) | 98 (55) | ||
Prednisone intake, n (%) | 62 (35) | ||
Prednisone dose, mg/day | 5 (3–6) | ||
NSAIDs, n (%) | 78 (44) | ||
DMARDs, n (%) | 153 (86) | ||
Methotrexate, n (%) | 135 (76) | ||
Leflunomide, n (%) | 19 (11) | ||
Biologic therapy, n (%) | 41 (23) | ||
Anti-TNF-α therapy, n (%) | 23 (13) | ||
Tocilizumab, n (%) | 11 (6) | ||
Rituximab, n (%) | 5 (3) | ||
Abatacept, n (%) | 2 (1) | ||
Carotid assessments | |||
CIMT, mm | 0.671 ± 0.143 | ||
Carotid plaque, n (%) | 66 (37) | ||