Table 1 Demographic and treatment characteristics.
| 1970s (n = 98) | 1980s (n = 222) | 1990s (n = 98) | p Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female (%) | 71 | 74 | 76 | 0.79 |
| Ethnic origin | ||||
| Caucasian (%) | 94 | 92 | 89 | |
| Hispanic (%) | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| African‐American (%) | 5 | 5 | 1 | |
| Other (%) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.20 |
| Comorbidity score 0–11, Med (IQR) | 1 (1) | 0 (1) | 1 (1) | 0.48 |
| DMARD, % of person‐time in follow‐up | <0.01 | |||
| None | 63 | 45 | 14 | |
| Penicillamine | 10 | 3 | 0 | |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 7 | 15 | 23 | |
| Gold | 13 | 13 | 5 | |
| Sulfasalzine | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Methotrexate | 6 | 22 | 45 | |
| Combination therapy | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| Glucocorticoids, % of person‐time | 13 | 13 | 29 | <0.01 |
| Length of follow‐up in years, Med (IQR) | 7.2 (3.2) | 6.6 (4.0) | 4.6 (3.8) | <0.01 |
DMARD, disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug.
Continuous variables are in medians (Med) and interquartile ranges (IQRs) of variables are reported.
*One‐way analysis of variance of means of normally distributed continuous variables; Kruskal–Wallis test for non‐normally distributed variables; χ2 test for dichotomous variables. Comorbidity scale, number of comorbid conditions (0–11); DMARD, % of person‐time, proportion of follow‐up time on various DMARD regimens; Combination therapy, any combination of two or more DMARDs; Glucocorticoids, low‐dose glucocorticoids.