Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics at baselinea
| Characteristic | ETN‐MTX (n = 3,724)b | MTX‐HCQ‐SSZ (n = 818)b | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 51.9 ± 11.8 | 55.2 ± 12.5 | < 0.001 |
| Age category, no. (%), years | < 0.001 | ||
| 18–34 | 301 (8.1) | 44 (5.4) | |
| 35–44 | 603 (16.2) | 103 (12.6) | |
| 45–54 | 1,178 (31.6) | 231 (28.2) | |
| 55–64 | 1,244 (33.4) | 276 (33.7) | |
| ≥65 | 398 (10.7) | 164 (20.0) | |
| Female, no. (%) | 2,894 (77.7) | 608 (74.3) | 0.037 |
| Geographic region, no. (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| Northeast | 583 (15.7) | 118 (14.4) | |
| North central | 977 (26.2) | 266 (32.5) | |
| South | 1,395 (37.5) | 246 (30.1) | |
| West | 690 (18.5) | 172 (21.0) | |
| Unknown | 79 (2.1) | 16 (2.0) | |
| Charlson‐Deyo comorbidity index | 1.30 ± 0.75 | 1.38 ± 0.98 | 0.008 |
| Rheumatology visit preindex, no. (%) | 2,438 (65.5) | 461 (56.4) | < 0.001 |
| RA‐related inpatient visits preindex | 0.00 ± 0.07 | 0.00 ± 0.06 | 0.738 |
| RA‐related outpatient visits preindex | 4.6 ± 5.2 | 3.5 ± 3.6 | < 0.001 |
| Outpatient pharmacy medications preindex | 11.5 ± 6.2 | 12.8 ± 6.2 | < 0.001 |
a
Values are mean ± SD unless indicated otherwise. ETN = etanercept; MTX = methotrexate; HCQ = hydroxychloroquine; SSZ = sulfasalazine; RA = rheumatoid arthritis.
b
Twenty‐nine patients met the criteria for both study arms (qualified for triple therapy first) and were included in both arms for descriptive analyses.