Table 1 Demographic characteristics of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) matched cohorts
| Â | SSc | RA | Limited SSc | RA matched to limited SSc | Diffuse SSc | RA matched to diffuse SSc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of patients | 408 | 408 | 182 | 182 | 226 | 226 |
Female, n (%) | 364 (89%) | 364 (89%) | 169 (93) | 169 (93) | 195 (86) | 195 (86) |
Age at inclusion (years) | 58.4 ± 13.5 | 57.5 ± 13.4 | 58.3 ± 12.6 | 57.4 ± 12.5 | 58.7 ± 14.2 | 57.9 ± 13.9 |
Disease duration (years) | 10.1 ± 7.8 | 9.2 ± 7.7 | 8.85 ± 8.79 | 8.3 ± 7.39 | 10.7 ± 8.4 | 10.2 ± 7.9 |
Smoking, n (%) | 104 (25.4%) | 128 (31.3%) | 54 (29.7) | 59 (32.4) | 50 (22.1) | 69 (30.6) |
Body mass index | 24.2 ± 3.6 | 26.5 ± 4.9 * | 24.4 ± 4.0 | 26.8 ± 4.8 * | 24.1 ± 3.4 | 26.1 ± 4.7 * |
Current corticosteroid treatment | 196 (48%) | 185 (45%) | 78 (43.1) | 84 (46.7) | 118 (48.7) | 101 (44.7) |
 Duration (months) | 14.6 ± 21.6 | 15.5 ± 26 | 14.1 ± 20.8 | 13.8 ± 36.5 | 15.2 ± 21.7 | 15.9 ± 36.9 |
 Μean daily dose (mg) | 2.8 ± 1.3 | 3.2 ± 1.5 | 2.3 ± 2.1 | 2.9 ± 3.2 | 3.1 ± 2.4 | 3.3 ± 2.6 |