TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of the DMARD-treated and anti-TNFα–treated patients*
| Characteristic | DMARD (n = 2,170) | All anti-TNFα (n = 8,659) | Etanercept (n = 3,844) | Infliximab (n = 2,944) | Adalimumab (n = 1,871) | P† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean ± SD years | 60 ± 12 | 56 ± 12‡ | 56 ± 12 | 56 ± 12 | 57 ± 12 | 0.052 |
| Sex, % female | 72 | 76‡ | 77 | 76 | 74 | 0.035 |
| DAS28 score, mean ± SD | 5.0 ± 1.4 | 6.6 ± 1.0‡ | 6.6 ± 1.0 | 6.6 ± 1.0 | 6.5 ± 1.0 | 0.006 |
| HAQ score, mean ± SD | 1.5 ± 0.8 | 2.1 ± 0.6‡ | 2.1 ± 0.6 | 2.1 ± 0.5 | 2.0 ± 0.6 | <0.001 |
| Disease duration, median (IQR) years | 7 (1–15) | 12 (6–19)‡ | 12 (6–19) | 12 (6–19) | 11 (5–19) | 0.009 |
| Extraarticular RA, no. (%) | 415 (19.1) | 2,541 (29.3)‡ | 1,123 (29.2) | 896 (30.4) | 522 (27.9) | 0.131 |
| Baseline steroid use, no. (%) | 418 (19.3) | 3,793 (43.8)‡ | 1,784 (46.4) | 1,342 (45.6) | 663 (35.4) | 0.016 |
| Diabetes, no. (%) | 132 (6.1) | 470 (5.4) | 230 (6.0) | 134 (4.6) | 106 (5.7) | 0.031 |
| COPD/asthma, no. (%) | 416 (19.2) | 1,130 (13.1)‡ | 536 (13.9) | 361 (12.3) | 233 (12.5) | 0.082 |
| Smoking history, no. (%) | ||||||
| Current smoker | 537 (25) | 1,886 (22)§ | 797 (21) | 650 (22) | 436 (23) | 0.045¶ |
| Former smoker | 849 (39) | 3,298 (38) | 1,454 (38) | 1,107 (38) | 733 (39) | |
| Never smoked | 767 (35) | 3,431 (40) | 1,568 (41) | 1,169 (40) | 690 (37) | |
*
Seventy-four patients switched from the cohort treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to the cohort treated with anti–tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNFα) drugs and were counted in both groups. Smoking history was available for 2,153 patients treated with DMARDs and 8,615 patients treated with anti-TNFα drugs. DAS28 = Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; IQR = interquartile range; RA = rheumatoid arthritis; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
†
Across 3 anti-TNFα drugs.
‡
P < 0.001 versus DMARD-treated patients.
§
P for trend < 0.001.
¶
P for trend.