Table 1.
Patient characteristics at back pain diagnosis date
| Characteristic | Patients referred to rheumatologist (n = 1244) | Patients not referred to rheumatologist (n = 2092) | P valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 42.9 | 45.8 | <0.0001 |
| Female, % | 50.7 % | 50.0 % | 0.7058 |
| Comorbid condition, % | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 5.1 % | 9.8 % | <0.0001 |
| Cardiovascular diseaseb | 7.1 % | 10.2 % | 0.0025 |
| Hypertension | 18.4 % | 23.5 % | 0.0006 |
| Renal disease | 0.5 % | 1.1 % | 0.0492 |
| Cancer (any) | 17.3 % | 19.0 % | 0.2215 |
| Uveitis | 4.3 % | 3.9 % | 0.5805 |
aChi-square test
bIncludes myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, angina, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery bypass grafting, angioplasty, catheterization, and heart stenting