Table 1.

Demographic data and distribution of gastrointestinal (GI) events before the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) incidence/index date in RA and non-RA cohorts.

Variable	RA, n = 813	Non-RA, n = 813	p*
Mean age, yrs (SD)	55.9 (15.7)	55.9 (15.7)	0.99
Female, n (%)	556 (68.4)	556 (68.4)	1.00
Smoking at incidence/index date, n (%)
Current	178 (22)	144 (18)	0.04
Ever	449 (55)	377 (47)	< 0.001
Alcohol abuse, n (%)	56 (7)	55 (7)	0.92
Mean length of followup, yrs (SD)	10.2 (6.8)	10.8 (7.02)	0.11
Diagnoses before incidence/index date, n (%)
Any GI event	261 (32)	222 (27)	0.03
Upper GI event	169 (21)	137 (17)	0.04
Lower GI event	135 (17)	131 (16)	0.79
Abdominal surgery before incidence/index date**, n (%)
Upper GI surgery	26 (3)	30 (4)	0.59
Lower GI surgery	57 (7)	52 (6)	0.62
GI-related hospitalizations before incidence/index date, n (%)	102 (12)	111 (14)	0.51

^*Indicates the differences between RA and non-RA cohorts.

^**Any upper or lower abdominal surgery, excluding appendectomy.