Table 4.
Comparison of rheumatoid arthritis patient characteristics between patients with/without incidental metabolic syndrome
| Characteristics | MetS-free patients | Patients with incidental MetS | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| ( n = 74) | ( n = 39) | ||
| Socio-demographic | |||
| Female gender | 68 (91.9) | 35 (89.7) | 0.74 |
| Age (years) | 33.6 ± 11.9 | 42.7 ± 13.8 | 0.000 |
| Years of formal education | 11.6 ± 3.6 | 10 ± 4.2 | 0.04 |
| Current smokers | 10 (13.5) | 2 (5.1) | 0.21 |
| Females with menopause (142 female) | 4 (4.4) | 7 (20) | 0.03 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.9 (21.5 to 26.6) | 26.8 (24.5 to 29.8) | 0.000 |
| Disease characteristics | |||
| Disease duration (months) | 5.4 (3.9 to 7) | 5.3 (2.9 to 7.3) | 0.38 |
| Patients with RF | 59 (79.7) | 29 (74.4) | 0.63 |
| Patients with ACCP | 63 (85.1) | 29 (74.4) | 0.21 |
| Cumulativea DAS28 | 2.4 (2.1 to 3.05) | 3.3 (2.7 to 5.8) | 0.000 |
| Cumulativea ESR (mm/hour) | 12.5 (8.6 to 18.2) | 21 (10.2 to 35) | 0.008 |
| Cumulativea CRP (mg/dl) | 0.28 (0.15 to 0.58) | 0.52 (0.26 to 1.21) | 0.007 |
| Cumulativea HAQ | 0.2 (0.12 to 0.43) | 0.38 (0.25 to 1.13) | 0.001 |
| Patients with erosions at index datea | 27 (34.5) | 23 (59) | 0.03 |
| Follow-up (months) | 72 (42 to 94.5) | 90 (70 to 108) | 0.003 |
| Comorbid conditions | |||
| Patients with ≥1 comorbid condition | 35 (47.3) | 20 (51.3) | 0.67 |
| Patients with diabetes | 0 | 1 (2.6) | 0.35 |
| Patients with hypertension | 1 (1.4) | 3 (7.7) | 0.12 |
| Patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 | 3 (4.1) | 10 (25.6) | 0.001 |
| Treatment at baseline | |||
| Patients with DMARDs | 15 (32.6) | 15 (38.5) | 0.12 |
| Patients with corticosteroids | 26 (35.1) | 12 (30.8) | 0.68 |
| Patients with antimalarials | 12 (16.2) | 8 (20.5) | 0.61 |
| Patients with other drugs | 37 (50) | 22 (56.4) | 0.56 |
Data presented as n (%), mean ± standard deviation or median (range). ACCP, antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides; BMI, body mass index; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS28, disease activity score evaluated in 28 joints; DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; MetS, metabolic syndrome; RF, rheumatoid factor. aConsidered up to MetS diagnosis in patients with incidental MetS and up to last follow-up in the patients without incidental MetS.