Table 1.
Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics in elderly and younger patients treated with TNF inhibitors
| Total (n = 429) | Elderly patients (n = 107) | Younger patients (n = 322) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, year | 49.5 ± 13.6 | 66.1 ± 5.4 | 44.0 ± 10.6 | <0.01 |
| Sex, male | 60 (14.0) | 24 (22.4) | 36 (11.2) | 0.01 |
| Disease duration, years | 8.6 ± 6.8 | 10.0 ± 7.9 | 8.2 ± 6.4 | 0.03 |
| First use of TNF inhibitor | 329 (76.7) | 83 (77.6) | 246 (76.4) | 0.91 |
| Number of previous non-biologic DMARDs used | 4.1 ± 1.5 | 4.4 ± 1.7 | 3.9 ± 1.5 | 0.01 |
| Concomitant MTX use | 311 (72.5) | 79 (73.8) | 232 (72.1) | 0.75 |
| Concomitant MTX dosage, mg/week | 14.0 ± 3.8 | 13.6 ± 3.5 | 14.2 ± 3.6 | 0.20 |
| Concomitant glucocorticoid use | 331 (77.2) | 83 (77.6) | 248 (77.0) | 1.00 |
| Concomitant glucocorticoid dosage, mg/day | 6.0 ± 4.1 | 6.5 ± 5.8 | 5.8 ± 3.4 | 0.34 |
| RF positivity | 327 (76.2) | 84 (78.5) | 243 (75.5) | 0.59 |
| DAS28-ESR* | 6.0 ± 0.9 | 6.0 ± 0.8 | 6.0 ± 0.9 | 0.46 |
| Comorbid conditions | ||||
| Cardiovascular disease | 12 (2.8) | 8 (7.5) | 4 (1.2) | <0.01 |
| Pulmonary disease a | 23 (5.4) | 17 (15.9) | 6 (1.9) | <0.01 |
| Previous history of pulmonary tuberculosis | 41 (9.6) | 14 (13.1) | 27 (8.4) | 0.21 |
| Gastrointestinal disease | 138 (32.2) | 41 (38.3) | 97 (30.1) | 0.15 |
| Hepatobiliary diseaseb | 46 (10.7) | 13 (12.2) | 33 (10.3) | 0.71 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 41 (9.6) | 20 (18.7) | 21 (6.5) | <0.01 |
| Malignancy | 18 (4.2) | 7 (6.5) | 11 (3.4) | 0.17 |
| Hypertension | 95 (22.1) | 50 (46.7) | 45 (14.0) | <0.01 |
| Thyroid disease | 26 (6.1) | 7 (6.5) | 19 (5.9) | 0.99 |
| Renal diseasec | 10 (2.3) | 1 (0.9) | 9 (2.8) | 0.46 |
| Biologic agents | ||||
| Etanercept | 264 (61.5) | 72 (67.3) | 192 (59.6) | 0.34 |
| Adalimumab | 113 (26.3) | 25 (23.4) | 88 (27.3) | |
| Infliximab | 52 (12.1) | 10 (9.4) | 42 (13.0) |
aPulmonary disease: interstitial lung disease, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bHepatobiliary disease: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis; cRenal disease: Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) GFR < 15
TNF tumor necrosis factor, RA rheumatoid arthritis, MTX methotrexate, DMARD disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug, DAS28 disease activity score with 28 joint assessment, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate
*DAS28ESR(3) is the disease activity score calculated from three variables including tender joint count, swollen joint count, and ESR
Bold means statistical significant at the p < 0.05