Table 3.

Risk factors for hand bone loss in a multivariate linear regression model

	DXA-BMD hand percentage change		DXR-BMD hand percentage change		DXR-MCI percentage change
	B (standard error)	P value	B (standard error)	P value	B (standard error)	P value
Disease activity score including 28 joints	0.09 (0.25)	0.73	-0.47 (0.16)	0.003	-0.47 (0.18)	0.009
Disease duration <3 years	-2.84 (0.88)	0.001	0.46 (0.55)	0.40	0.45 (0.63)	0.47
Baseline BMD (g/cm2)/MCI	-9.70 (5.01)	0.05	-3.80 (2.51)	0.13	-5.79 (2.81)	0.04
Prednisolone during 2-year follow-up (no/yes)	0.44 (0.69)	0.53	-0.03 (0.43)	0.95	-0.41 (0.49)	0.40
Ever disease-modifying antirheumatic drug user (no/yes)	-0.31 (0.90)	0.73	-0.58 (0.55)	0.30	-0.56 (0.63)	0.38
Ever antiresorptive osteoporosis treatment user (no/yes)	0.78 (0.70)	0.27	0.03 (0.42)	0.95	-0.05 (0.47)	0.91
R2	0.11		0.05		0.06

B values are unstandardized coefficients. Age, gender, rheumatoid factor and the Modified Health Questionnaire were also tested, but did not influence the results. DXA, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; DXR, digital X-ray radiogrammetry; BMD, bone mineral density; MCI, metacarpal cortical index.