Table 3.
Frequency of self-reported current and past comorbidities among rheumatoid arthritis patients commencing bDMARD (n = 624)∗#.
| N (%) | |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure | 254 (40.7) |
| Osteoporosis* | 49 (31.0) |
| High blood cholesterol or lipids* | 41 (26.0) |
| Gastrointestinal disease | 127 (20.4) |
| Eye disease* | 32 (20.3) |
| Depression* | 31 (19.6) |
| Neurological disease* | 27 (17.1) |
| Anaemia or blood disease | 78 (13.5) |
| Diabetes | 64 (10.3) |
| Heart attack or angina* | 16 (10.0) |
| Lung disease | 55 (8.8) |
| Thyroid* | 10 (6.3) |
| Other heart disease (eg valve problems) | 38 (6.1) |
| Coronary artery bypass graft/angioplasty/stent* | 8 (5.1) |
| Mental illness other than depression | 18 (2.9) |
| Liver disease | 17 (2.8) |
| Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)* | 4 (2.5) |
| Kidney disease | 13 (2.1) |
| Drug or alcohol abuse | 6 (0.9) |
| Tuberculosis* | 1 (0.6) |
| Verified malignancy | 65 (10.4) |
| Number of participants reporting an infection within 6 months prior to commencing biological therapy* | 113 (71.5) |
*n = 58 for conditions indicated with an asterisk.
#Listed in order of descending frequency.