Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of included patients
| Parameter | Patients with RA (N=330) |
| Female gender, n (%) | 224 (67.9) |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 62.0 (11.6) |
| Disease duration, mean (SD) | 11.2 (9.6) |
| DAS28-ESR,* mean (SD) | 3.3 (1.4) |
| SJC (0–28),† mean (SD) | 2.3 (3.5) |
| TJC (0–28),† mean (SD) | 4.1 (5.5) |
| ESR (mm/hour),† mean (SD) | 18.7 (17.6) |
| RAPID3 total score (0–10),‡§ mean (SD) | 3.8 (2.1) |
| RAPID3 function (0–10), mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.9) |
| RAPID3 VAS pain (0–10), mean (SD) | 4.3 (2.6) |
| RAPID3 PGA (0–10), mean (SD) | 4.7 (2.4) |
| Treatment status | |
| bDMARD only,¶ n(%) | 155 (47) |
| MTX only, n (%) | 77 (23.3) |
| bDMARD plus MTX, n (%) | 71 (21.5) |
| No bDMARD**/MTX, n (%) | 27 (8.2) |
*DAS28-ESR (four variables, ESR-based).
†N=213.
‡RAPID3 (functioning, VAS pain and PGA).
§RAPID3 0–30 was converted to a 0–10 scale; high numbers reflect bad scores.
¶bDMARD includes TNFi (81.9%; etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab–pegol and golimumab) and no TNFi (18.1%; rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab).
**Patients (n=27) neither on bDMARDs nor on MTX were treated with leflunomide, sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine.
bDMARD, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; DAS28-ESR, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints that includes the erythrocyte sedimentation rate; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; MTX, methotrexate; PGA, patient global assessment; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RAPID3, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3; SJC, swollen joint count; TJC, tender joint count; TNFi, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.