Table 1.
Patient characteristics.
| Psoriatic arthritis (n = 20) | Ankylosing spondylitis (n = 17) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General characteristics∗ | |||
| Age, (years, median (IQR)) | 45 (34-54) | 45 (38-51) | 0.77 |
| Female, no. (%) | 11 (55%) | 6 (35%) | 0.33 |
| Disease duration, (years, median (IQR)) | 7 (3-8.5) | 4.5 (2.5-15.5) | 0.78 |
| Caucasian ethnicity, no. (%) | 20 (100%) | 17 (100%) | N/A |
| Current smoker, no. (%) | 1 (5%) | 1 (6%) | 1.00 |
| Daily caffeine use, no. (%) | 18 (90%) | 16 (94%) | 1.00 |
| Methotrexate, no. (%) | 15 (75%) | 1 (6%) | <0.0001 |
| Methotrexate dose amongst users, (mg per week) | 16.5 ± 1.4 | 25 ± 0 | 0.15 |
| Prescription NSAID, no. (%) | 13 (65%) | 11 (65%) | 0.99 |
| NSAID prescription dose (mg per day, median (IQR)) | 1200 (1000-1800) | 1000 (800-1200) | 0.11 |
| Height (cm) | 176.0 ± 10.6 | 177.4 ± 8.3 | 0.66 |
| Weight (kilogram) | 86.3 ± 17.6 | 79.3 ± 16.3 | 0.22 |
| Body mass index (BMI) | 27.7 ± 3.9 | 25.1 ± 4.4 | 0.02† |
| Vagnus nerve stimulation∗ | |||
| Stimulations used (no./patient, median (IQR)) | 24 (24-25) | 24 (22-24) | 0.3 |
| Stimulation amplitude (intensity) (intensity, median (IQR)) | 30 (29-35) | 27 (25-30) | 0.04† |
∗Data are presented as mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated. †Significant difference, P < 0.05.