Table 1.
Demographic data and baseline medical and medication history of the study groups
| Variable | Subgroup | Intervention group | Control group | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (year) | N/A | 50.38 ± 12.25+ | 51.48 ± 12.49 | 0.74 |
| Sex | Male | 5 (17.24%) | 3 (11.11%) | 0.71 |
| Female | 24 (82.76%) | 24 (88.88%) | ||
| RA history (years) | N/A | 6.69 ± 4.44 [6.00, 4.00-8.50]* |
7.09 ± 5.20 [6.00, 3.00-12.00] |
0.98 |
| Main referral reason | New case | 3 (10.34%) | 4 (14.81%) | 0.81 |
| Flare-up | 13 (44.83%) | 10 (37.04%) | ||
| Follow up | 13 (44.83%) | 13 (48.15%) | ||
| Concurrent rheumatoid disease | Yes | 9 (31.03%) | 9 (33.33%) | 0.85 |
| No | 20 (68.97%) | 18 (66.67%) | ||
| Comorbidity | Yes | 8 (27.59%) | 10 (37.04%) | 0.45 |
| No | 21 (72.41%) | 17 (62.96%) | ||
| Concurrent drug | Yes | 8 (27.59%) | 7 (25.93%) | 0.89 |
| No | 21 (72.41%) | 20 (74.07) | ||
| No of tender joints | N/A | [3.00, 2.00-6.50] | [3.00, 1.00-4.00] | 0.24 |
| No of swollen joints | N/A | [3.00, 2.00-5.00] | [2.00, 1.00-4.00] | 0.07 |
| Patient global assessment | N/A | 81.38 ± 19.95 [80.00, 70.00-100.00] |
79.26 ± 23.85 [80.00, 50.00-100.00] |
0.98 |
| ESR | N/A | 26.41 ± 19.78 [21.00, 12.00-33.50] |
21.63 ± 17.38 [15.00, 10.00-32.00] |
0.23 |
| DAS28_ESR | N/A | 4.81 ± 1.00 | 4.31 ± 1.05 | 0.07 |
| Menopause female patients | Yes | 16 (66.67%) | 15 (62.50%) | 0.76 |
| No | 8 (33.33%) | 9 (37.50%) |
N/A: Not Applicable; RA: Rheumatoid Arthritis; + Continuous data are presented as mean ± standard deviation;
*
[Median, Interquartile range] for discrete or non-normally distributed variables; ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate.