Table 1 Baseline demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory findings according to the progression of carotid plaque after 3-year follow-up of the KARRA cohort

Male (%)

21 (12.3)

33 (23.9)

0.010

2.245 (1.230–4.096)

11 (9.2)

9 (12.2)

0.546

1.383 (0.481–3.973)

Age (year)

53.06 ± 11.67

60.34 ± 9.47

< 0.001

1.065 (1.041–1.089)

48.78 ± 9.95

56.49 ± 9.09

< 0.001

1.083 (1.043–1.125)

 BMI (kg/m²)

22.78 ± 3.58

23.14 ± 2.82

0.331

1.035 (0.966–1.109)

22.69 ± 3.73

23.02 ± 2.69

0.572

0.991 (0.957–1.026)

 Waist-hip ratio

0.89 ± 0.07

0.92 ± 0.06

0.002

276.9 (7.017–10929.1)

0.88 ± 0.07

0.90 ± 0.06

0.052

154.4 (0.959–24860.9)

 Hypertension

37 (21.6)

43 (31.2)

0.068

1.639 (0.982–2.736)

20 (16.7)

13 (26.5)

0.142

1.806 (0.815–4.000)

 Diabetes mellitus

8 (4.7)

12 (8.7)

0.169

1.940 (0.770–4.890)

3 (2.5)

3 (6.1)

0.248

2.543 (0.495–13.063)

 Hypercholesterolemia

14 (8.2)

26 (18.8)

0.006

2.603 (1.301–5.208)

9 (7.5)

8 (16.3)

0.083

2.407 (0.870–6.657)

 Smoking: ever and current

21 (12.3)

38 (27.5)

0.001

2.714 (1.505–4.896)

15 (12.5)

8 (16.3)

0.510

1.366 (0.538–3.465)

  Ever

12 (7.0)

19 (13.8)

0.058

2.116 (0.989–4.527)

8 (6.7)

6 (12.2)

0.233

1.953 (0.640–5.960)

  Current

9 (5.3)

19 (13.8)

0.015

2.874 (1.256–6.575)

7 (5.8)

2 (4.1)

0.645

0.687 (0.138–3.429)

LDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

109.61 ± 29.65

116.78 ± 32.69

0.046

1.007 (1.000–1.015)

105.89 ± 28.04

120.14 ± 32.55

0.005

1.016 (1.004–1.028)

Uric acid (mg/dL)

3.67 ± 1.35

4.00 ± 1.47

0.041

1.183 (1.005–1.392)

3.59 ± 1.18

3.59 ± 1.19

0.974

0.995 (0.750–1.321)

Presence of carotid plaque

51 (29.8)

89 (64.5)

< 0.001

4.274 (2.649–6.896)

NA

NA

NA

NA

Mean carotid IMT, mm

0.76 ± 0.15

0.88 ± 0.17

< 0.001

187.9 (33.2–1064.0)

0.72 ± 0.13

0.81 ± 0.12

< 0.001

256.6 (16.5–3991.9)

 Disease duration (year)

12.21 ± 7.89

13.74 ± 8.83

0.112

1.022 (0.995–1.051)

11.28 ± 6.28

12.23 ± 6.91

0.392

1.023 (0.972–1.076)

 mHAQ

6.19 ± 7.11

7.52 ± 6.63

0.095

1.028 (0.995–1.063)

5.31 ± 5.91

7.43 ± 6.74

0.044

1.053 (1.000–1.109)

 DAS28-ESR

3.21 ± 1.12

3.41 ± 1.26

0.123

1.162 (0.960–1.406)

3.18 ± 1.13

3.26 ± 1.11

0.676

1.065 (0.793–1.432)

 ESR (mm/h)

23.91 ± 20.08

28.39 ± 21.28

0.059

1.011 (0.999–1.022)

23.81 ± 20.80

25.75 ± 17.77

0.570

1.005 (0.988–1.021)

 CRP (mg/dL)

0.39 ± 0.68

0.53 ± 1.14

0.177

1.201 (0.906–1.593)

0.41 ± 0.76

0.41 ± 0.64

0.983

1.005 (0.634–1.593)

 Rheumatoid factor (IU/mL)

61.03 ± 80.77

90.22 ± 131.96

0.025

1.003 (1.000–1.005)

56.76 ± 55.17

67.85 ± 109.67

0.347

1.002 (0.998–1.006)

 ACPA (Unit/mL)

285.34 ± 217.48

296.17 ± 234.73

0.699

1.000 (0.999–1.001)

290.94 ± 218.68

267.48 ± 224.36

0.565

1.000 (0.998–1.001)

 Steroid ≥ 5 mg

20 (11.9)

13 (9.4)

0.486

0.770 (0.368–1.609)

13 (10.9)

4 (8.2)

0.509

0.725 (0.224–2.344)

 Methotrexate dosage (mg/week)

10.77 ± 3.87

11.28 ± 3.31

0.242

1.040 (0.973–1.111)

10.85 ± 3.9

11.06 ± 3.08

0.751

1.016 (0.923–1.118)

 TNF inhibitors

10 (5.8)

9 (6.5)

0.806

1.123 (0.443–2.846)

6 (5.0)

2 (4.1)

0.799

0.809 (0.157–4.151)

 Osteocalcin (ng/mL)

7.17 ± 3.29

7.71 ± 3.55

0.170

1.048 (0.979–1.122)

7.12 ± 2.70

8.39 ± 4.09

0.021

1.126 (1.014–1.251)

 Serum CTX-I (pg/mL)

0.37 ± 0.19

0.42 ± 0.24

0.014

3.972 (1.288-12.253)

0.36 ± 0.18

0.44 ± 0.22

0.014

8.171 (1.446–46.154)

 Lumbar BMD

1.06 ± 0.19

1.03 ± 0.21

0.187

0.436 (0.127–1.496)

1.07 ± 0.17

1.03 ± 0.20

0.154

0.207 (0.024–1.818)

 Femur BMD

0.86 ± 0.14

0.82 ± 0.16

0.007

0.106 (0.020–0.554)

0.87 ± 0.13

0.82 ± 0.14

0.026

0.045 (0.003–0.719)

 Radius BMD

0.60 ± 0.12

0.55 ± 0.14

0.004

0.059 (0.008–0.421)

0.61 ± 0.11

0.56 ± 0.13

0.010

0.019 (0.001–0.426)

 Lumbar

71 (45.5)

73 (60.8)

0.015

1.859 (1.147–3.015)

48 (43.6)

25 (61.0)

0.058

2.018 (0.971–4.196)

 Femur

67 (39.2)

39 (50.0)

0.065

1.552 (0.986–2.443)

40 (36.7)

24 (58.5)

0.016

2.435 (1.170–5.070)

 Radius

70 (45.5)

80 (69.6)

< 0.001

2.743 (1.650–4.560)

41 (37.6)

24 (60.0)

0.015

2.488 (1.185–5.224)