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Table 1 Rheumatoid arthritis clinical characteristics and disease activity relationships

From: Altered skeletal muscle metabolic pathways, age, systemic inflammation, and low cardiorespiratory fitness associate with improvements in disease activity following high-intensity interval training in persons with rheumatoid arthritis

Variable

Cross-sectional RA cohort #1

(n = 47);

Mean (SD)

Cross-sectional RA cohort #1:

associations with

DAS-28;

Spearman’s rho

HIIT RA cohort #2

(n = 12);

Mean (SD)

HIIT RA cohort #2:

associations with improvements in

DAS-28 following HIIT; Spearman’s rho

DAS-28 (mean)

 Baseline

3.0 (1.4)

 

3.1 (1.5)

0.57

 Post-HIIT

  

2.3 (1.5)

 

ESR (mm/hr)

11.8 (12.0)

0.80*

  

 Baseline

  

10.5 (11.9)

0.64*

 Post-HIIT

  

7.0 (8.8)

 

CRP (mg/L)

6.5 (7.8)

0.47*

  

 Baseline

  

2.7 (3.5)

0.47

 Post-HIIT

  

2.2 (3.1)

 

Swollen joints (n)

 Baseline

  

4.3 (3.8)

0.74*

 Post-HIIT

  

1.9 (1.7)

 

Tender joints (n)

 Baseline

  

4.2 (7.0)

0.33

 Post-HIIT

  

1.9 (2.9)

 

Patient global health (mm)

 Baseline

  

31.5 (15.7)

−0.43

 Post-HIIT

  

22.6 (19.2)

 

HAQ-DI

0.67 (0.68)

0.67*

  

 Baseline

  

0.41 (0.34)

−0.13

 Post-HIIT

  

0.35 (0.46)

 

Age (years)

54.1 (12.5)

0.05

63.9 (7.2)

0.67*

BMI (kg/m2)

29.9 (6.4)

−0.01

  

 Baseline

  

27.4 (9.3)

0.32

 Post-HIIT

  

27.7 (9.8)

 

Gender

 Female

33 (70.2%)

0.07

11 (91.6)

0.10

 Male

14 (29.8%)

 

1 (8.4%)

 

Rheumatoid factor positive

42/47 (89.4%)

0.20

10/12 (83.3%)

−0.45

Anti-cyclic citrullinated antibody positive

21/22 (95.6%)

−0.21

5/8 (62.5%)

−0.29

Erosions on radiographs present

21/38 (55.2%)

0.24

9/12 (75.0%)

0.55

Disease duration (months)

138.9 (136.3)

−0.09

159.6 (86.7)

0.18

Body composition

 Abdominal total adipose area (cm2)

408.9 (202.6)

0.05

  

 Thigh total adipose area (cm2)

135.7 (66.8)

0.06

  

 Thigh muscle area (cm2)

115.8 (37.4)

−0.17

  

 Thigh muscle density (Hu)

53.4 (8.6)

−0.32*

  

 Body fat (%)

    

 Baseline

  

36.6 (11.6)

0.53

 Post-HIIT

  

37.3 (11.2)

 

 Lean mass (kg)

    

 Baseline

  

44.9 (8.9)

0.11

 Post-HIIT

  

44.7 (7.8)

 

Sedentary activity (% total daily min)

91.0 (6.0)

0.23

  

Total exercise (min/day)

9.7 (14.3)

−0.29

  

Moderate intensity exercise (min/day)

7.5 (10.5)

−0.26

  

High intensity exercise (min/day)

1.6 (3.8)

−0.36*

  

Very high intensity exercise (min/day)

0.5 (2.9)

−0.37*

  

Baseline cardiorespiratory fitness

(VO2 peak; ml/kg/min)

  

24.9 (6.6)

27.1 (7.0)

−0.75*

  1. In columns 2 and 4, data are presented as means (SD) for continuous variables and number (percentages) of participants for dichotomous variables. In columns 3 and 5, data are presented as Spearman’s rho
  2. RA rheumatoid arthritis, DAS-28 disease activity score in 28 joints, HIIT high-intensity interval training, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP c-reactive protein, HAQ-DI health assessment questionnaire-disability index, BMI body mass index
  3. *p < 0.05 for Spearman correlations
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Arthritis Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1478-6362

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