Table 4 Classical cardiac risk factors, presentation, severity, and treatment in rheumatoid arthritis and controls for those who suffered recurrent cardiac events compared with those who did not.
| Variable | RA (n = 40) | Control (n = 40) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recurrent event (n = 23) | No recurrent event (n = 17) | p Value | Recurrent event (n = 12) | No recurrent event (n = 28) | p Value | |||||||
| Traditional risk factors | ||||||||||||
| Age | 65.2 (15.1) | 65.8 (11) | NS | 74.7 (10.3) | 65.8 (10.7) | 0.016 | ||||||
| Male sex | 9 (39%) | 6 (35%) | NS | 4 (33%) | 11 (39%) | NS | ||||||
| Diabetes | 3 (13%) | 1 (6%) | NS | 3 (25%) | 5 (18%) | NS | ||||||
| Family history | 6 (26%) | 5 (29%) | NS | 5 (42%) | 14 (50%) | NS | ||||||
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 2 (9%) | 2 (12%) | NS | 2 (17%) | 5 (18%) | NS | ||||||
| Smoking (current) | 6 (26%) | 5 (29%) | NS | 2 (17%) | 7 (25%) | NS | ||||||
| Hypertension | 10 (44%) | 4 (24%) | NS | 8 (67%) | 11 (39%) | NS | ||||||
| Obesity (BMI > 30) | 2 (9%) | 1 (6%) | NS | 1 (8%) | 4 (15%) | NS | ||||||
| Index event | ||||||||||||
| Non‐ST‐elevation ACS | 14 (61%) | 10 (59%) | NS | 9 (75%) | 13 (47%) | NS | ||||||
| ST elevation ACS | 9 (39%) | 7 (41%) | NS | 3 (25%) | 15 (53%) | NS | ||||||
| Symptoms | ||||||||||||
| Chest pain | 18 (77%) | 15 (88%) | NS | 12 (100%) | 28 (100%) | NS | ||||||
| Dyspnoea | 10 (44%) | 7 (41%) | NS | 5 (42%) | 9 (32%) | NS | ||||||
| Collapse | 5 (22%) | 2 (12%) | NS | 0 | 1 | NS | ||||||
| Arrhythmia | 1 (4%) | 1 (6%) | NS | 0 | 1 | NS | ||||||
| Killip class | ||||||||||||
| I | 8 (35%) | 13 (76%) | 0.009 | 5 (42%) | 21 (75%) | 0.04 | ||||||
| II | 14 (61%) | 4 (24%) | 0.017 | 7 (58%) | 7 (25%) | 0.04 | ||||||
| III | 0 | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 | NS | ||||||
| IV | 1 (4%) | 0 | NS | 0 | 0 | NS | ||||||
| Discharge drugs | ||||||||||||
| ACE inhibition | 5 (22%) | 7 (41%) | NS | 2 (17%) | 6 (21%) | NS | ||||||
| β Blockade | 4 (17%) | 9 (53%) | 0.02 | 4 (33%) | 11 (39%) | NS | ||||||
| Statin | 3 (13%) | 3 (18%) | NS | 3 (25%) | 5 (18%) | NS | ||||||
| NSAIDs | 18 (78%) | 10 (58%) | NS | |||||||||
| DMARDs (any) | 23 (100%) | 17 (74%) | NS | |||||||||
| Methotrexate | 14 (60%) | 11 (64%) | NS | |||||||||
| Steroids* | 13 (56%) | 11 (64%) | NS | |||||||||
| Exercise rehabilitation | 7 (30%) | 9 (53%) | NS | 2 (16%) | 13 (46%) | NS | ||||||
| Risk assessment | ||||||||||||
| Echocardiography | 12 (52%) | 7 (41%) | NS | 3 (25%) | 9 (28%) | NS | ||||||
| Exercise test | 6 (26%) | 8 (47%) | NS | 4 (33%) | 18 (64%) | NS | ||||||
| SPECT | 7 (30%) | 3 (18%) | NS | 2 (17%) | 6 (21%) | NS | ||||||
Values are mean (SD) or n (%). Results were analysed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test (if n<5 in any cell). Age was analysed by t test. Significant p values in bold.
*Steroids defined as prednisolone 7.5 mg or more for more than six months ever. Data are not available on controls for NSAID and steroid use.
ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; ACS, acute coronary syndrome; DMARD, disease modifying antirheumatic drug; NSAID, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug; SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography.