Table 2 Change from baseline for clinical variables after one and after two years.
| 1 year | 2 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive strategy group | Conventional strategy group | Mean (95% CI) difference between strategy groups | Intensive strategy group | Conventional strategy group | Mean (95% CI) difference between strategy groups | |
| ESR, mm/h1st | ||||||
| All patients | −18 (27) | −15 (24) | −3 (−9 to 2) | −16 (27) | −16 (24) | −0.3 (−6 to 5) |
| Completers | −24 (27) | −16 (24) | −7 (−15 to −0.4) | −22 (27) | −19 (24) | −3 (−10 to 4) |
| Morning stiffness, min. | ||||||
| All patients | −63 (61) | −56 (59) | −7 (−21 to 6) | −56 (68) | −57 (63) | 1 (−13 to 16) |
| Completers | −73 (56) | −64 (57) | −9 (−25 to 7) | −60 (70) | −69 (60) | 8 (−10 to 26) |
| Number of swollen joints | ||||||
| All patients | −11 (8) | −9 (7) | −2 (−4 to −1) | −11 (8) | −11 (8) | −0.3 (−2; 2) |
| Completers | −14 (7) | −10 (8) | −3 (−5 to −1) | −13 (7) | −13 (7) | −0.4 (−2; 2) |
| Number of tender joints | ||||||
| All patients | −11 (7) | −8 (8) | −3 (−6 to −1) | −10 (9) | −9 (8) | −1 (−3 to 1) |
| Completers | −13 (8) | −9 (8) | −4 (−6 to −1) | −12 (9) | −11 (8) | −1 (−4 to 1) |
| VAS general well‐being, mm | ||||||
| All patients | −32 (29) | −21 (29) | −11 (−17 to −4) | −30 (31) | −22 (28) | −8 (−15 to −1) |
| Completers | −38 (27) | −24 (29) | −14 (−22 to −6) | −37 (29) | −28 (27) | −9 (−16 to −1) |
| VAS pain, mm | ||||||
| All patients | −36 (31) | −24 (30) | −11 (−18 to −4) | −34 (31) | −26 (31) | −9 (−16 to −1) |
| Completers | −42 (27) | −27 (30) | −15 (−23 to −7) | −40 (28) | −30 (28) | −10 (−18 to −2) |
| Functional disability, HAQ | ||||||
| All patients | −0.44 (0.59) | −0.39 (0.66) | −0.05 (−0.19 to 0.09) | −0.41 (0.64) | −0.42 (0.76) | 0.01 (−0.15 to 0.17) |
| Completers | −0.56 (0.53) | −0.49 (0.67) | −0.07 (−0.24 to 0.10) | −0.55 (0.62) | −0.54 (0.79) | −0.01 (−0.20 to 0.19) |
ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; VAS, visual analogue scale; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire.
Data show mean (SD) change from baseline and mean (95% CI) difference between the two treatment strategy groups for the total study population and for completers.
For all clinical variables, negative values indicate improvement from baseline.