Table 1.
Characteristics of the study participants.
| HC (n = 94) | RA (n = 211) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographical features | |||
| Age, years; median (range) | 53.25 (27.00–83.00) | 53.87 (19.00–87.81) | 0.546 |
| Gender, f/m | 74/20 | 147/37 | 0.439 |
| Sampling season, winter + spring/summer + autumn | 59/35 | 150/61 | 0.148 |
| Blood lipids, mean ± SD | |||
| Total-cholesterol, mg/dl | 203.49 ± 33.92 | 207.08 ± 35.52 | 0.464 |
| HDL-cholesterol, mg/dl | 62.36 ± 13.42 | 60.33 ± 17.09 | 0.527 |
| LDL-cholesterol, mg/dl | 123.08 ± 30.56 | 122.63 ± 32.47 | 0.791 |
| Total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio | 3.46 ± 0.91 | 3.72 ± 1.36 | 0.310 |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 92.43 ± 21.23 | 101.35 ± 40.54 | 0.135 |
| Disease features | |||
| Disease duration, years | 2.75 (5.34) | ||
| Age at diagnosis, years; median (range) | 49.88 (18.00–85.00) | ||
| Disease activity (DAS28) | 3.70 (2.20) | ||
| Tender Joint Count | 3.00 (7.00) | ||
| Swollen Joint Count | 1.00 (4.00) | ||
| Patient Global Assessment (0–100) | 40.00 (41.00) | ||
| ESR, mm/h | 18.00 (23.00) | ||
| CRP, mg/dl | 0.20 (0.41) | ||
| HAQ (0–3) | 0.87 (1.25) | ||
| Pain assessment (0–10) | 4.00 (4.00) | ||
| RF (+), n(%) | 118 (55.9) | ||
| ACPA (+), n(%) | 120 (56.8) | ||
| Erosive disease (n = 129), n(%) | 51 (24.1) | ||
| Traditional CV risk factors, n(%) | |||
| Hypertension | 65 (30.8) | ||
| Dyslipidemia | 52 (24.6) | ||
| Diabetes | 22 (10.4) | ||
| Smoking | 75 (35.5) | ||
| BMI, mean ± SD | 26.55 ± 4.76 | ||
| History of previous CVD | 38 (18.00) | ||
| Treatments, n(%) | |||
| None | 47 (22.2) | ||
| Glucocorticoids | 104 (49.2) | ||
| Methotrexate | 141 (66.8) | ||
| TNFα blockers | 50 (23.6) | ||
| Tocilizumab | 12 (5.6) | ||
| Vitamin D supplements | 37 (17.5) | ||
Variables were summarized as median (IQR), mean ± SD or n(%). Statistical differences were assessed by Mann-Withney U or χ2 tests, as appropriate.