Table 4.
General characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis
| Characteristic | Sample n = 206 | Group Aa n = 129 | Group Bb n = 70 | p value Group A versus B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disease duration starting diagnosis (ys) | 9,40 ʱ 8,87 | 8,24 ʱ 8,93 | 11,32 ʱ 8,30 | 0,01* |
| Treatment: therapeutically groups | ||||
| No remissive treatment | 2,5% | – | – | NA |
| Non–biologic DMARDs monotherapy | 47,1% | 74,4% | – | NA |
| Non–biologic DMARDs combinations | 16,2% | 25,5% | – | NA |
| Biologic DMARDs plus MTX | 25,5% | – | 74,3% | NA |
| Biologic DMARDs without MTX | 8,8% | – | 25,7% | NA |
| Treatment: DMARD preparatesc | ||||
| MTX | 48,6% | 36,4% | 74,3% | NA |
| SSZ | 19,6% | 27,1% | 7,1% | NA |
| LFL | 42,2% | 61,2% | 10% | NA |
| Treatment: biologic agents | ||||
| Infliximab | 65,7% | – | 65,7% | NA |
| Etanercept | 20% | – | 20% | NA |
| Adalimumab | 14,3% | – | 14,3% | NA |
| Mean duration of current treatment (ys) | 2,70 ± 2,64 | 2,71 ± 2,86 | 2,71 ± 2,19 | NS |
| Anti–inflammatory drugs | ||||
| NSAIDs | 89,2% | 91,4% | 88,2% | NS |
| Monthly NSAIDs intake | ||||
| None | 10,8% | 9,1% | 11,9% | NS |
| <10 days | 17% | 19,0% | 14,9% | NS |
| 10 – 20 days | 25,3% | 26,4% | 23,9% | NS |
| > 20 days | 11,3% | 8,3% | 16,4% | NS |
| Daily | 35,6% | 37,2% | 32,8% | NS |
| Corticotherapy | 39% | 37,8% | 39,7% | NS |