Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the two cohorts and their treating rheumatologists
| MTX monotherapy users | Multiple nonbiologic DMARD users | |
|---|---|---|
| Patient characteristics, n | 741 | 995 |
| Demographics | ||
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 65.8 (12.4) | 63.3 (11.9) |
| Sex, % female | 74 % | 81 % |
| White, % | 83 % | 83 % |
| Insurance, % | ||
| Private | 64 % | 66 % |
| Medicare | 46 % | 49 % |
| Medicaid | 9 % | 7 % |
| Clinical | ||
| Disease duration, years mean (SD) | 10.4 (9.7) | 12.7 (10.6) |
| mHAQ, mean (SD) | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.5 (0.5) |
| CDAI, mean (SD) | 20.8 (10) | 19.0 (9.9) |
| Ever use of prednisone, % | 40 % | 54 % |
| Provider characteristics, n | 106 | 125 |
| Years in practice, mean (SD) | 31 (9.2) | 30.5 (9.9) |
| Sex, % male | 88 % | 79 % |
| Practice setting | ||
| Academic | 4 % | 10 % |
| Private practice | 96 % | 90 % |
| Location | ||
| Northeast | 48 % | 29 % |
| South | 25 % | 30 % |
| Midwest | 18 % | 33 % |
| West | 9 % | 8 % |
CDAI Clinical Disease Activity Index, mHAQ modified Health Assessment Questionnaire