Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients
| Unweighted sample | Weighted sample | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-TNF | DMARD | Total | p Value | Anti-TNF | DMARD | p Value | |
| N | 3271 | 1773 | 5044 | 3271 | 1773 | ||
| Weights, mean (SD) | 1 (0) | 1 (0) | 1 (0) | – | 0.99 (0.8) | 1.0 (1.2) | 0.15 |
| Female, n (%) | 2556 (78.1) | 1394 (78.6) | 3950 (78.3) | 0.69 | 2612.2 (78.8) | 1519.4 (77.6) | 0.29 |
| Age | 53.8 (12.3) | 56.2 (11.5) | 54.6 (12.1) | <0.0001 | 54.4 (12.3) | 54.6 (12.1) | 0.47 |
| Median (IQR) disease duration, years | 9 (5, 16) | 6 (3, 12) | 8 (4, 15) | <0.0001 | 8 (4, 15) | 8 (4, 16) | 0.45 |
| Median (IQR) follow-up, years | 3.1 (2.1, 4.9) | 3.3 (2.5, 5.0) | 3.1 (2.4, 5.0) | <0.0001 | 3 (2.2, 4.6) | 3.5 (2.5, 5) | <0.0001 |
| Rheumatoid factor positive, n (%) | 2624 (80.2) | 1271 (71.7) | 3895 (77.2) | <0.0001 | 2620.4 (79.0) | 1479.6 (75.5) | 0.003 |
| DAS28 | 5.7 (1.2) | 5.1 (1.3) | 5.5 (1.3) | <0.0001 | 5.5 (1.3) | 5.6 (1.3) | 0.20 |
| FFbH | 57.0 (23.0) | 66.6 (21.5) | 60.4 (22.9) | <0.0001 | 60.0 (22.8) | 58.7 (24.3) | 0.05 |
| Smoking ever, n (%) | 1027 (47.0) | 585 (45.6) | 1612 (46.4) | 0.43 | 1036.1 (46.3) | 621.1 (44.7) | 0.36 |
| No of previous DMARDs | 3.3 (1.3) | 1.8 (1.0) | 2.8 (1.4) | <0.0001 | 2.8 (1.4) | 2.9 (1.5) | 0.01 |
| No of previous biologics | 0.23 (0.6) | 0.01 (0.1) | 0.14 (0.4) | <0.0001 | 0.17 (0.5) | 0.10 (0.4) | <0.0001 |
| Glucocorticoids 7.5–14 mg/day, n (%) | 1027 (31.4) | 386 (21.8) | 1413 (28.0) | <0.0001 | 938.6 (30.0) | 404.1 (25.4) | <0.0001 |
| Glucocorticoids ≥15 mg/day, n (%) | 491 (15.0) | 147 (8.3) | 683 (12.7) | <0.0001 | 465.5 (14.9) | 146.6 (9.2) | <0.0001 |
| COPD, n (%) | 162 (5.0) | 87 (4.9) | 249 (4.9) | 0.94 | 168.9 (5.1) | 86.8 (4.4) | 0.28 |
| Chronic lung diseases total, n (%) | 246 (7.5) | 112 (6.3) | 358 (7.1) | 0.11 | 247.7(7.5) | 135.9 (6.9) | 0.47 |
| Chronic renal disease, n (%) | 139 (4.3) | 31 (1.8) | 170 (3.4) | <0.0001 | 156.1 (4.7) | 56.8 (2.9) | 0.001 |
Values are mean (SD) unless otherwise specified.
The weights estimated for the first time period (0–6 months) were used to calculate the weighted sample (columns 6 and 7).
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DAS28, disease activity score based on 28 joint counts; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; FFbH, Hannover Functional Status Questionnaire measuring functional capacity as percentage of full function; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.