Table 3.

Characteristics of patients for whom a lipid test^* during followup met the National Cholesterol Education Program adult treatment panel III criteria for initiation of lipid-lowering therapy.

Characteristic	RA (n=106)	Non-RA (n=120)	p-valueX
Age at lipid test, years, mean ± SD	63.4 ± 12.2 (min 36, max 90)	62.8 ± 11.7 (min 36, max 94)	0.70
Sex, female	60 (57%)	81 (68%)	0.09
RA duration at lipid test, years, mean ± SD	4.1 ± 3.6	3.8 ± 3.9	0.26
Length of follow-up from lipid test to last follow-up, years, mean ± SD	7.6 ± 4.7	8.1 ± 5.1	--
TC, mg/dL, mean ± SD	240 ± 31	251 ± 35	0.017
LDL, mg/dL, mean ± SD	159 ± 24	166 ± 26	0.032
HDL, mg/dL, mean ± SD	49 ± 13	52 ± 15	0.18
HDL<40 mg/dl	29 (27%)	28 (23%)	0.49
TG, mg/dL, mean ± SD	160 ± 75	169 ± 79	0.34
Current smoker	29 (27%)	23 (19%)	0.14
Hypertension or anti-hypertensive medication use	54 (51%)	52 (43%)	0.25
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg	142 ± 19	136 ± 23	0.005
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg	84 ± 10	81 ± 13	0.29
Family history of premature CHD	29 (27%)	44 (37%)	0.14
Personal history of CHD or CHD risk equivalent (MI, PAD, AAA, diabetes mellitus, revascularization procedures	31 (29%)	30 (25%)	0.47
Framingham risk score, %	12.9% ± 7.8%	10.4% ± 8.3%	0.007
Cardiovascular risk category:			0.018
High	48 (45%)	39 (32%)
Moderately high	37 (35%)	35 (29%)
Moderate	13 (12%)	33 (28%)
Low	8 (8%)	13 (11%)

^*“Lipid test” refers to the first lipid test after rheumatoid arthritis (RA) incidence/index date that meets criteria for initiation of lipid-lowering therapy;

^Xstatistically significant differences (p<0.05) are shown in bold

HDL = high density lipoproteins; LDL = low density lipoproteins; SD = standard deviation; TC = total cholesterol; TG = triglycerides; CHD = coronary heart disease; AAA = abdominal aortic aneurysm; DM = diabetes mellitus; MI = myocardial infarction; PAD = peripheral arterial disease