Table 1.
Baseline characteristics. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | General population (n=4 164 088) | Rheumatoid arthritis (n=18 247) |
|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 2 121 459 (50.9) | 12 726 (69.7) |
| Mean (SD) age (years): | 45.6 (18.4) | 52.4 (14.9) |
| Women | 46.8 (19.2) | 52.0 (15.2) |
| Men | 44.3 (17.6) | 53.2 (14.0) |
| Comorbidity: | ||
| Hypertension | 148 893 (3.6) | 936 (5.1) |
| Heart failure | 27 221 (0.7) | 101 (0.6) |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 109 382 (2.6) | 620 (3.4) |
| Hyperthyroid disease | 16 945 (0.4) | 136 (0.7) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 49 666 (1.2) | 270 (1.5) |
| Heart surgery | 16 363 (0.4) | 101 (0.6) |
| Diabetes | 71 288 (1.7) | 368 (2.0) |
| Mean (SD) socioeconomic index | 3.00 (1.41) | 2.77 (1.39) |
| Cardiovascular drugs: | ||
| β blocker | 150 322 (3.6) | 942 (5.2) |
| Cholesterol lowering drug | 28 587 (0.7) | 174 (1.0) |
| ACEI/ARB | 119 704 (2.9) | 740 (4.1) |
| Calcium channel blocker | 93 711 (2.3) | 592 (3.2) |
| Thiazide diuretic | 176 078 (4.2) | 1 161 (6.4) |
| Loop diuretic | 130 861 (3.1) | 695 (3.8) |
| Spironolactone | 15 170 (0.4) | 68 (0.4) |
| Vitamin K antagonist | 14 259 (0.3) | 98 (0.5) |
| Platelet inhibitor | 155 122 (3.7) | 794 (4.4) |
ACEI=angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB=angiotensin 2 receptor blocker.