Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 214 patients at time of meeting 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis
| Baseline characteristic | Female, N=148 | Male, N=66 | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (±SD), years | 53.6 (±15.2) | 59.1 (±12.5) | 0.007 |
| RF/ACPA positive | 97 (67%) | 46 (70%) | 0.68 |
| Smoking status | 0.010 | ||
| Current smoker | 23 (16%) | 15 (23%) | |
| Former smoker | 36 (24%) | 26 (39%) | |
| Never smoker | 89 (60%) | 25 (38%) | |
| Education level | 0.20 | ||
| ≤ high school graduate | 28 (20%) | 19 (29%) | |
| Some college or 2 yr degree | 59 (41%) | 20 (30%) | |
| ≥4 yr college degree | 55 (39%) | 27 (41%) | |
| Obese (BMI ≥30kg/m2) | 60 (41%) | 25 (38%) | 0.71 |
| ≥10 joints involved | 104 (70%) | 46 (70%) | 0.95 |
| ESR and/or CRP elevated1 | 98 (66%) | 55 (83%) | 0.010 |
| Presence of erosions | 28 (19%) | 19 (29%) | 0.11 |
RF: rheumatoid factor; ACPA: anti-citrullinated peptide antibody; BMI: body mass index; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein.
1
Elevated ESR and/or CRP were defined as higher than the upper limit of normal as defined by local laboratory standards.