Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of VARA participants at the start of each biologic treatment episode
| Characteristics | Biologics only (N = 197) | Biologics or DMARDs* (N = 305) |
|---|---|---|
| Patient demographics | ||
| Age, years | 60.9 ± 10.3 | 62.3 ± 10.4 |
| Males | 185 (94%) | 287 (94%) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Caucasian, non-Hispanic | 159 (81%) | 248 (81%) |
| Non-Caucasian, Hispanic | 7 (4%) | 8 (3%) |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 27 (14%) | 45 (15%) |
| American Indian or Pacific Islander | 4 (2%) | 4 (1%) |
| RA drug initiated | ||
| Abatacept | 9 (5%) | 9 (3%) |
| Adalimumab | 74 (38%) | 74 (24%) |
| Etanercept | 60 (31%) | 60 (20%) |
| Infliximab | 34 (17%) | 34 (11%) |
| Rituximab | 20 (10%) | 20 (7%) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | n/a | 63 (21%) |
| Leflunomide | n/a | 20 (7%) |
| Sulfasalazine | n/a | 25 (8%) |
| RA-related characteristics | ||
| DAS28 | 5.0 ± 1.5 | 4.9 ± 1.6 |
| CDAI (0-76) | 30.2 ± 16.3 | 27.5 ± 15.2 |
| Physician global (0 to 100) | 51.0 ± 22.1 | 50.3 ± 22.6 |
| Patient global (0 to 100) | 57.4 ± 25.2 | 54.8 ± 24.2 |
| Tender joint count (0 to 28) | 9.6 ± 8.6 | 8.5 ± 7.9 |
| Swollen joint count (0 to 28) | 7.9 ± 7.2 | 7.8 ± 6.6 |
| MDHAQ (0 to 3) | 1.2 ± 0.6 | 1.2 ± 0.6 |
| ESR, mm/hour | 27.9 ± 23.3 | 29.9 ± 24.6 |
| CRP, mg/dL | 1.9 ± 2.4 | 2.1 ± 2.5 |
Data are n (%) or means ± SD. DMARD: disease-modifying agent; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; CDAI: Clinical Disease Activity Index; CRP: C-reactive protein; DAS28: Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; MDHAQ: Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire; ESR: sedimentation rate; n/a: not applicable; SD: standard deviation. *Includes hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide and sulfasalazine.