Table 1. Patient baseline characteristics.
| Total n = 39 | MTX n = 19 | TNFi + MTX, n = 20 | p for difference between the two treatment groups | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 58.2 (±8,7) | 57.0 (±10) | 59.3 (±8.5) | 0.43 |
| Female, n (%) | 25 (64) | 11 (58) | 14 (70) | 0.44 |
| RA duration, years | 1.00 (0.1–25.0) | 0.1 (0.1–14.0) | 4.5 (0.1–25.0) | <0.001 |
| Disease activity | ||||
| Erosive arthritis, n (%) | 19 (49) | 4 (21%) | 15 (75%) | <0.001 |
| DAS28 | 4.96 (±0.97) | 4.90 (±0.90) | 5.03 (±1.06) | 0.68 |
| VAS pain (100-mm scale)) | 57.9 (±22.07) | 59.2 (±21.2) | 56.7 (±23.3) | 0.73 |
| VAS fatigue (100-mm scale) | 50.26 (±25.43) | 43.9 (±28.0) | 56.3 (±21.7) | 0.13 |
| No. of swollen joints | 4.00 (0–28) | 4.00 (2–23) | 5.0 (0–28) | 0.75 |
| No. of tender joint | 7.00 (0–28) | 6.00 (0–24) | 8.00 (2–28) | 0.41 |
| ESR (mm/h) | 22.0 (2–81) | 32.7 (19.7–45.7) | 21.11 (14.0–28.2) | 0.17 |
| CRP (mg/L) | 10.0 (1.0–78.0) | 13.0 (1.0–63.0) | 9.0 (1.0–78.0) | 0.48 |
| PtGA (100-mm scale) | 54.97 (47.92–62.03) | 54.72 (43.92–65.52) | 55.21 (44.98–65.44) | 0.91 |
| MHAQ | 0.67 (0.54–0.80) | 0.63 (0.41–0.84) | 0.71 (0.53–0.89) | 0.37 |
| Anti-CCP, n (%) | 21 (53.8) | 8 (42.1) | 13 (65) | 0.22 |
| RF IgM, n (%) | 24 (61.5) | 11 (57.9) | 13 (65) | 0.71 |
| RF IgA, n (%) | 17 (43.6) | 8 (42.1) | 9 (45) | 0.88 |
| CVD risk factors, n (%) | ||||
| Family history of CVD or death | 20 (51.3) | 10 (50) | 10 (52.6) | 0.26 |
| Any known CVD | 8 (20.5) | 6 (30) | 2 (10.5) | 0.14 |
| Previous cardiac infarction | 4 (10.3) | 3 (15) | 1 (5.3) | 0.33 |
| Angina pectoris | 2 (5.1) | 1 (5) | 1 (5.3) | 0.97 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 7 (17.9) | 4 (20) | 3 (15.8) | 0.74 |
| Hypertension | 14 (35.9) | 9 (45) | 5 (26.3) | 0.24 |
| Current smoker | 6 (15.4) | 2 (10) | 4 (21.1) | 0.35 |
| Diabetes | 3 (7.7) | 3 (15) | 0 (100) | 0.08 |
| RHI | 1.92 (1.42–2.94) | 1.88 (1.42–2.76) | 2.07 (1.50–2.94) | 0.16 |
| Treatment, n (%) | ||||
| Calcium agonist | 5 (12.8) | 3 (15) | 2 (10.5) | 0.69 |
| ACE inhibitors | 5 (12.8) | 2 (10) | 3 (15.8) | 0.60 |
| Beta-blockers | 4 (10.3) | 2 (10) | 2 (10.5) | 0.96 |
| Statins | 9 (23.1) | 6 (30) | 3 (15.8) | 0.31 |
| NSAIDs | 29 (74.4) | 14 (70) | 15 (78.9) | 0.54 |
| Acetyl Salicylic acid | 4 (10.3) | 2 (10) | 2 (10.5) | 0.96 |
p<0.05 indicate statistically significant difference between the treatment groups at baseline. Numbers are mean (±SD) or median (range).
TNFi: Anti-tumor necrosis factor, MTX: Methotrexate, RDD: Rheumatic Disease Duration, DAS28: 28-joint Disease Activity Score, VAS: Visual Analog Scale, ESR: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP: C-reactive protein, PtGA: Patients Global Assessment score of disease activity, MHAQ: Medical Heath Assessment Questionnaire, RF: Rheumatoid Factor; RHI: Reactive Hyperemic Index.