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Table 1 Patient characteristics in patients with early RA at inclusion and at follow-up visits

From: Predictors of unacceptable pain with and without low inflammation over 5 years in early rheumatoid arthritis—an inception cohort study

Characteristic

Inclusion

6 months

1 year

2 years

5 years

N

232

212

219

208

179

Sex, female, n (%)

169 (70.3)

150 (70.8)

155 (70.8)

146 (70.2)

127 (70.9)

Age, years, mean (SD)

60.5 (14.6)

60.4 (14.5)

60.6 (14.6)

61.5 (14.9)

63.7 (14.6)

Symptom duration at inclusion, months

7.0 (5.0–10.0)

7.0 (5.0–10.0)

7.0 (5.0–10.0)

7.0 (5.0–10.0)

7.0 (5.0–10.0)

RF positive at inclusion, n (%)

143 (61.6)

127 (59.9)

135 (61.6)

125 (60.1)

115 (64.2)

Anti-CCP positive at inclusion, n/N (%)

116/202 (57.4)

106/185 (57.3)

109/189 (57.7)

102/180 (56.7)

91/155 (58.7)

Prednisolone, n (%)

90 (38.8)

77 (36.3)

69 (31.5)

63 (30.3)

52 (29.1)

Methotrexate, n (%)

124 (53.4)

125 (59.0)

137 (62.6)

128 (61.5)

110 (61.5)

Biologic DMARD, n (%)

0 (0)

5 (2.4)

12 (5.5)

17 (8.2)

32 (17.9)

> 1 csDMARD, n (%)

4 (1.72)

14 (6.6)

14 (6.4)

20 (9.6)

16 (8.9)

No DMARD, n (%)

41 (17.7)

28 (13.2)

28 (12.8)

36 (17.3)

42 (23.5)

Erosion, n (%)

35 (15.1)

NA

55 (25.1)

68 (32.7)

70 (39.1)

Body Mass Index, mean (SD)

25.4 (4.2)a

NA

NA

25.9 (4.5)b

NA

Current smoking, n/N (%)

57/165 (34.5)

NA

NA

NA

NA

Grip force, % of expected, mean (SD)

39.8 (25.7)c

48.9 (27.1)d

51.8 (27.3)e

54.1 (28.5)f

56.9 (30.3)g

VAS pain, mean (SD)

41.2 (26.8)

32.3 (26.2)

30.1 (24.1)

32.1 (27.0)

30.3 (23.8)

DAS28, mean (SD)

4.6 (1.4)

3.8 (1.4)

3.7 (1.4)

3.6 (1.4)

3.6 (1.4)

SJC28

7.0 (5.0–11.0)

4.5 (2.0–7.0)

4.0 (2.0–7.0)

4.0 (2.0–7.0)

4.0 (2.0–7.0)

TJC28

4.0 (1.0–9.0)

2.0 (0–6.0)

2.0 (0–5.0)

1.0 (0–4.0)

1.0 (0–3.0)

HAQ

0.8 (0.4–1.3)

0.5 (0.1–0.9)

0 (0–1.0)

0.5 (0–1.0)

0.8 (0.1–1.1)

CRP (mg/l)

9.0 (< 9–26.8)

< 9 (< 9–11.0)

< 9 (< 9–10.0)

< 9 (< 9–11.0)

< 9 (< 9–9.3)

CRP > 9 mg/l, n (%)

121 (52.2)

61 (28.8)

58 (26.5)

62 (29.8)

44 (24.7)

ESR (mm/h)

20.5 (10.0–43.0)

14.0 (8.0–30.0)

15.0 (8.0–27.0)

15.0 (8.0–26.3)

15.0 (9.0–24.0)

VAS PGA, mean (SD)

43.3 (26.7)

33.3 (25.2)

30.6 (23.9)

33.6 (26.5)

34.5 (24.7)

  1. Legend: Values are median (interquartile range) unless otherwise indicated. aData for body mass index in 162 cases. bData in 139 cases. cData for grip force in 200 cases. d Data in 180 cases. eData in 198 cases. fData in 200 cases. gData in 173 cases
  2. SD standard deviation, RF rheumatoid factor, Anti-CCP anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, DMARD disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, csDMARD conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, NA not available, VAS visual analogue scale, DAS28 disease activity score in 28 joints, SJC28 swollen joint count in 28 joints, TJC28 tender joint count in 28 joints, HAQ health assessment questionnaire, CRP C-reactive protein, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, PGA patient global assessment
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Arthritis Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1478-6362

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