Table 1. Baseline characteristics of patients with RA at diagnosis (early RA) and matched controls.
| Control | Early RA | |
|---|---|---|
| Patients, no | 24 | 24 |
| Women no. (%) | 17 (71) | 17 (71) |
| Age, mean (years) | 58±13 | 58±14.3 |
| BMI, mean (kg/m2) | 24.5±3.6 | 24.0±3.7 |
| Smokers no. (%) | ||
| Current | 5 (21) | 5 (21) |
| Past | 1 (4) | 8 (33) |
| Never | 18 (75) | 11 (46) |
| Use of anti-hypertensive drugs, no. (%) | 6 (25) | 6 (25) |
| Diuretics, no. (%) | 0 | 4 (16.6) |
| Hypothyroidism, no. (%) | 3 (12.5) | 3 (12.5) |
| Renal failure, no. (%) | 0 | 0 |
| Cardiac failure, no. (%) | 0 | 0 |
| Radiographic erosion, no. (%) | - | 7 (29) |
| Time from diagnosis, mean (years) | - | 0 |
| RF+, no. (%) | - | 14 (58.3) |
| ACPA+, no. (%) | - | 14 (58.3) |
| CRP, median (IQR) (mg/L) | - | 17 [6.1–54.2] |
| DAS28-CRP, median (IQR) | - | 4.1 (3.5–4.6) |
| DAS28-CRP > 3.2, no. (%) | 19 (79.2) | |
| Rheumatoid nodules, no. (%) | - | 0 |
| Glucocorticoids, no. (%) | - | 0 |
| NSAID, no. (%) | 8 (33.3) | 10 (41.7) |
| Synthetic DMARD, no. (%) | - | 0 |
DMARD: Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatic Drug; NA: Non Applicable; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RF+: rheumatoid factor positivity(measured by immunonephelometry, RF>15 UI/ml); ACPA+: anti-citrullinated protein antibody positivity (measured by chemiluminescence, ACPA>4.6 UI/ml); CRP: C-reactive protein (measured by immunoturbidimetry, N<5 mg/l); DAS28: Disease Activity in 28 Joints