Table 4.
Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of African Americans with RA participating in the CLEAR Registry at enrollment*
| Characteristic | Overall (n = 855) |
Disease duration |
Sex |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longer, >2 yrs (n = 437) |
Early, <2 yrs (n = 418) |
Women (n = 726) |
Men (n = 129) |
||
| Age at RA onset, mean :± SD years | 47.3 :± 13.3 | 44.2 :± 12.7 | 50.5 :± 13.3 | 47.1 :± 13.5 | 48.1 :± 12.2 |
| Age at enrollment, mean :± SD years | 54.3 :± 12.7 | 57.0 :± 11.6 | 51.5 :± 13.2 | 54.3 :± 12.9 | 54.3 :± 11.9 |
| Early disease (<2 years), % | 48.9 | – | – | 48.3 | 51.9 |
| Women, % | 84.9 | 85.8 | 84.0 | – | – |
| Education (2 high-school degree), % | 75.3 | 76.0 | 74.6 | 77.7 | 62.0 |
| Married, % | 29.2 | 25.6 | 32.9 | 27.3 | 39.8 |
| Poverty level, % | 34.1 | 35.9 | 32.2 | 34.8 | 29.9 |
| Ever smoker, % | 51.7 | 51.3 | 52.2 | 48.1 | 72.1 |
| Ever drank alcohol, % | 66.6 | 67.1 | 66.1 | 64.1 | 80.5 |
| Obese (BMI 230 kg/m2), % | 52.4 | 53.1 | 51.6 | 55.1 | 37.3 |
| DAS28-CRP, mean :± SD | 3.9 :± 1.4 | 3.7 :± 1.4 | 3.9 :± 1.5 | 3.9 :± 1.4 | 3.7 :± 1.5 |
| HAQ score, median (Q1,Q3) | 1.4 (0.8, 1.9) | 1.4 (0.8, 1.9) | 1.4 (0.8, 1.9) | 1.4 (0.8, 1.9) | 1.1 (0.8, 1.8) |
| Pain score (0–10), median (Q1,Q3) | 7 (4, 8) | 7 (5, 8) | 6 (4, 8) | 7 (4, 8) | 7 (5, 9) |
| Fatigue score (0–10), median (Q1,Q3) | 6 (3, 8) | 6 (4, 8) | 6 (3, 8) | 6 (3, 8) | 5 (3, 8) |
| Helplessness score, median (Q1,Q3)† | 2.8 (2.0, 3.6) | 2.8 (2.0, 3.4) | 2.8 (2.0, 3.6) | 2.8 (2.0, 3.6) | 2.8 (2.0, 3.6) |
| Tender 28 joints, median (Q1,Q3) | 4 (1, 11) | 4 (1, 9) | 5 (2, 13) | 5 (2, 11) | 4 (0, 9) |
| Tender 28 joints (>0),% | 83.3 | 82.3 | 84.2 | 85.0 | 73.6 |
| Swollen joints, median (Q1,Q3) | 4 (1, 9) | 4 (1, 9) | 3 (1, 8) | 4 (1, 9) | 3 (0, 7) |
| Swollenjoints (>0), % | 76.8 | 76.6 | 77.0 | 78.2 | 69.0 |
| Erosion, median (Q1,Q3) | 0 (0, 5) | 2 (0, 14) | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 4.5) | 0 (0, 5) |
| Erosion (>0), % | 42.8 | 56.0 | 28.2 | 41.9 | 47.4 |
| Narrowing, median (Q1,Q3) | 0 (0, 10) | 6 (0, 26) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 9.5) | 0 (0, 10.5) |
| Narrowing (>0), % | 42.1 | 61.6 | 20.7 | 41.0 | 48.3 |
| Comorbidity (21), %‡ | 71.1 | 65.4 | 76.5 | 71.2 | 70.7 |
| Ever use DMARDs, % | 90.7 | 96.8 | 84.4 | 90.2 | 93.8 |
| Ever use methotrexate, % | 74.1 | 83.1 | 64.7 | 74.4 | 72.7 |
| Ever use steroids, % | 89.8 | 94.1 | 83.4 | 90.3 | 86.1 |
*
Wherever applicable, “unknown” data were excluded. RA = rheumatoid arthritis; CLEAR = Consortium for the Longitudinal Evaluation of African Americans with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis; BMI = body mass index; DAS28-CRP = Disease Activity Score based on tenderness and swelling of 28 joints with C-reactive protein (CRP); HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; Q1,Q3 = first quartile, third quartile; DMARDs = disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (including biologic agents).
†
Using Rheumatology Attitudes Index.
‡
Self-reported (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, stroke).