Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of the RA patients and controls

Characteristics	Patients with arthritis (n = 15)	Healthy controls (n = 15)	P value
Age, years	48 ± 10	48 ± 10	0.92
Female, n (%)	12 (80)	12 (80)	N/A
Symptom duration, months	5 (4–12)	N/A	N/A
Rheumatoid factor (RF) positive, n (%)	11 (73)	N/A	N/A
ACPA positive, n (%)	13 (87)	N/A	N/A
Erosive, n (%)	3 (20)	N/A	N/A
Disease activity score (DAS28)	4.7 (0.95)	N/A	N/A
ESR, mm/h	18 (11–35)	5 (3–8)	<0.001
CRP, mg/l	3 (2–17)	1 (1–2)	0.002
Fasting glucose	4.8 (4.2–5.3)	4.5 (4.2–4.7)	0.38
Total cholesterol	4.7 (4.0–5.3)	5.4 (4.1–5.7)	0.42
HDL-c	1.52 (1.31–1.87)	1.42 (1.27–1.88)	0.78
LDL-c	2.70 (2.11–3.37)	2.72 (2.01–3.88)	0.68
Triglycerides	1.01 (0.78–1.78)	0.99 (0.58–1.31)	0.26
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg	126 ± 15	118 ± 7	0.1
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg	80 ± 8	79 ± 6	1.0
Smoking (%)	2 (13)	1 (7)	0.5
NSAID use, n (%)	10 (67)	N/A	N/A
Body mass index (BMI)	24.5 (22.4–27.4)	24.4 (22.1–25.2)	0.42

Data are mean +/−SD or median (interquartile range); pulse pressure = systolic blood pressure − diastolic blood pressure

ACPA anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive protein, HDL-c high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-c low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, NSAID non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, N/A not applicable