Table 1.
Characteristics of 54 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) participating in annual examinations of spinal immobility. Data are presented as mean (SD) unless otherwise stated
| Total (n = 54) | Men (n = 41) | Women (n = 13) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at end of follow-up (years) | 54.7 (10.5) | 53.4 (11.3) | 58.6 (6.4) | 0.13 |
| Disease duration at the end of follow-up (years) | 30.9 (11.7) | 29.0 (11.8) | 36.9 (9.0) | 0.03 |
| Duration of follow-up (years) | 5.9 (2.3) | 5.9 (2.3) | 5.9 (2.1) | 0.96 |
| BASDAI | 3.8 (1.7) | 3.6 (1.5) | 4.4 (2.1) | 0.12 |
| BASFI | 2.7 (1.7) | 2.4 (1.6) | 3.6 (1.9) | 0.03 |
| ESR (mm/h) | 15.6 (10.9) | 14.7 (10.9) | 18.5 (10.7) | 0.28 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 4.2 (2.5) | 4.6 (2.5) | 2.7 (1.8) | 0.02 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.3 (5.2) | 27.9 (5.6) | 25.5 (3.4) | 0.15 |
| Smokers, n (%) | 8 (14.8) | 3 (7.3) | 5 (38.5) | 0.006 |
| Past smokers, n (%) | 17 (31.5) | 13 (31.7) | 4 (30.8) | 0.004 |
| NSAID, regularly, n (%) | 35 (64.8) | 27 (65.9) | 8 (61.5) | 0.78 |
| NSAID, when needed, n (%) | 13 (24.1) | 9 (22.0) | 4 (30.8) | 0.52 |
| DMARD, n (%) | 6 (11.1) | 5 (12.2) | 1 (7.7) | 0.77 |
| Corticosteroids, n (%) | 4 (7.4) | 2 (4.9) | 2 (15.4) | 0.65 |
| Exercise in leisure time, median (range)a | 4 (1–5) | 4 (2–5) | 4 (1–5) | 0.04 |
| Physical activity at work, median (range)b | 2 (1–4) | 3 (1–4) | 2 (1–4) | 0.41 |
Bold font to indicate statistically significant result at p<0.05
BASDAI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BASFI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (Westergren); hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, NSAID, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug; DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug
aAssessed by a five grade scale taking into account frequency, intensity and duration
bAssessed by a four grade scale taking into account frequency, intensity and duration