Table 3.
DMARD and glucocorticoid use by patient characteristics among MCBS respondents with rheumatoid arthritis between 2001 and 2006, weighted to the US Medicare population
| Total weighted number (in thousands) |
Any DMARD | Non-biologic DMARD | Biologic DMARD | Oral Glucocorticoid Use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%)* | |||||
| Age, years | |||||
| 65 to 74 | 2,965 | 1,089 (37%) | 1,021 (35%) | 169 (6%) | 1,010 (34%) |
| 75 to 84 | 1,338 | 328 (25%) | 323 (24%) | 31 (2%) | 376 (28%) |
| 85+ | 353 | 15 (4%) | 15 (4%) | 0 | 80 (23%) |
| Gender | |||||
| Female | 3,440 | 1,071 (31%) | 1,014 (30%) | 173 (5%) | 1,104 (32%) |
| Male | 1,216 | 361 (30%) | 346 (29%) | 28 (2%) | 361 (30%) |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||
| Non-Hispanic, white | 2,996 | 1,170 (33%) | 1,145 (32%) | 130 (4%) | 1,186 (33%) |
| Non-Hispanic, black | 413 | 119 (25%) | 111 (23%) | 11 (2%) | 141 (29%) |
| Hispanic | 364 | 90 (20%) | 52 (12%) | 60 (13%) | 117 (26%) |
| Non-Hispanic, other | 133 | 52 (33%) | 52 (33%) | 0 | 22 (14%) |
| Income (US dollars) | |||||
| >50,000 | 260 | 126 (49%) | 126 (49%) | 30 (12%) | 98 (38%) |
| >30,000 to 50.000 | 1,003 | 376 (38%) | 353 (35%) | 74 (7%) | 353 (35%) |
| >20,000 to 30,000 | 992 | 309 (31%) | 278 (28%) | 65 (7%) | 373 (38%) |
| >15,000 to 20,000 | 639 | 188 (30%) | 175 (27%) | 19 (3%) | 175 (27%) |
| ≤ 15,000 | 1,582 | 361 (23%) | 358 (23%) | 7 (0.5%) | 392 (25%) |
Total number = 4,656,213. *Percentage of the row total. DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug use; MCBS, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.