Table 1.
Basic characteristics of participates with RA based on NLR category.
| Characteristic | Overall (n=2002) | Higher NLR (n=339) | Lower NLR (n=1663) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted No. | 44,689,857 | 7,531,516 | 37,158,342 | |
| Age (year) | 56.61 (14.43) | 62.19 (14.72) | 55.48 (14.11) | <0.001 |
| Age group | <0.001 | |||
| 20-39 years | 161 (11.56%) | 20 (6.63%) | 141 (12.56%) | |
| 40-59 years | 641 (41.06%) | 73 (27.58%) | 568 (43.79%) | |
| 60-79 years | 941 (35.99%) | 174 (47.13%) | 767 (33.73%) | |
| ≥80 years | 259 (11.39%) | 72 (18.66%) | 187 (9.91%) | |
| Sex | 0.11 | |||
| Female | 1,173 (58.74%) | 170 (53.05%) | 1,003 (59.89%) | |
| Male | 829 (41.26%) | 169 (46.95%) | 660 (40.11%) | |
| Race/ethnicity | <0.001 | |||
| Mexican American | 324 (5.89%) | 49 (6.09%) | 275 (5.85%) | |
| Other Hispanic | 154 (4.85%) | 25 (4.68%) | 129 (4.88%) | |
| Non-Hispanic White | 878 (68.93%) | 192 (75.66%) | 686 (67.57%) | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 569 (15.98%) | 54 (7.48%) | 515 (17.70%) | |
| Other/multiracial | 77 (4.35%) | 19 (6.09%) | 58 (3.99%) | |
| Educational attainment | 0.7 | |||
| Less than 9th grade | 349 (9.56%) | 54 (9.98%) | 295 (9.47%) | |
| 9-11th grade | 406 (17.41%) | 61 (16.18%) | 345 (17.66%) | |
| High school graduate | 482 (28.10%) | 91 (29.89%) | 391 (27.74%) | |
| Some college | 544 (31.21%) | 92 (32.93%) | 452 (30.86%) | |
| College graduate or above | 221 (13.72%) | 41 (11.02%) | 180 (14.27%) | |
| Poverty income ratio | 2.52 (1.58) | 2.36 (1.51) | 2.55 (1.60) | 0.2 |
| Poverty income ratio group | 0.061 | |||
| 0-1.29 | 807 (31.03%) | 128 (32.49%) | 679 (30.73%) | |
| 1.30-3.49 | 749 (37.62%) | 140 (42.79%) | 609 (36.57%) | |
| ≥3.50 | 446 (31.35%) | 71 (24.72%) | 375 (32.70%) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 30.31 (7.37) | 29.79 (7.38) | 30.41 (7.37) | 0.2 |
| BMI group | 0.3 | |||
| Underweight | 23 (1.24%) | 4 (2.35%) | 19 (1.01%) | |
| Normal | 423 (22.80%) | 90 (26.19%) | 333 (22.12%) | |
| Overweight | 613 (29.71%) | 99 (29.71%) | 514 (29.71%) | |
| Obese | 943 (46.25%) | 146 (41.75%) | 797 (47.16%) | |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 103.03 (16.96) | 103.52 (17.49) | 102.93 (16.85) | >0.9 |
| Smoking status | 0.3 | |||
| Non-smoker | 868 (40.04%) | 148 (36.76%) | 720 (40.71%) | |
| Smoker | 1,134 (59.96%) | 191 (63.24%) | 943 (59.29%) | |
| Health insurance | 0.7 | |||
| Insured | 1,751 (87.99%) | 302 (87.23%) | 1,449 (88.14%) | |
| Uninsured | 251 (12.01%) | 37 (12.77%) | 214 (11.86%) | |
| NLR | 2.38 (1.41) | 4.66 (1.89) | 1.91 (0.63) | <0.001 |
Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD), while categorical variables are presented as number (%). All estimates were adjusted for sample weights and complex survey designs, with means and percentages further adjusted for the survey weights of NHANES. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; BMI, body mass index; NLR, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio.