Table 2.
Characteristics of participants by serum 25(OH)D status.
| 25(OH)D concentration (range, ng/ml) | Lower status (n = 78) | Higher status (n = 78) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9–16.0 | 16.1–32.1 | ||
| Age, mean (SD), year | 70.4 (6.9) | 69.1 (6.4) | 0.21 |
| Body mass index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 21.7 (3.5) | 22.2 (3.6) | 0.29 |
| Factors associated with sarcopenia | |||
| Skeletal mass index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 5.45 (0.90) | 5.83 (0.69) | 0.0036 |
| Handgrip strength-dominant, mean (SD), kg | 13.1 (7.6) | 16.0 (6.5) | 0.0094 |
| Gait speed, mean (SD), m/s | 0.88 (0.30) | 1.02 (0.27) | 0.0025 |
| Sarcopenia (+), n (%) | 44 (56.4) | 26 (33.3) | 0.0036 |
| Severe sarcopenia (+), n (%) | 34 (43.6) | 12 (15.4) | < 0.0001 |
| Osteoporosis medication, n (%) | 41 (35.0) | 36 (29.8) | 1.00 |
| MNA-SF, mean (SD) | 11.9 (2.1) | 12.0 (1.9) | 0.69 |
| RA disease characteristics | |||
| Disease duration, mean (SD), year | 16.6 (13.6) | 15.6 (11.7) | 0.63 |
| DAS28-ESR, mean (SD) | 3.11 (1.04) | 2.81 (0.90) | 0.055 |
| CRP, median (IQR), mg/dL | 0.1 (0–0.4) | 0.1 (0.1–0.3) | 0.44 |
| HAQ, mean (SD) | 1.00 (0.79) | 0.67 (0.66) | 0.0096 |
| Stage, mean (SD) | 2.99 (1.10) | 3.04 (1.10) | 0.77 |
| Stage 4, n (%) | 35 (44.9) | 38 (48.7) | 0.63 |
| Stage 3 and 4, n (%) | 53 (68.0) | 53 (68.0) | 1.00 |
| Stage 2, 3 and 4, n (%) | 67 (85.9) | 68 (87.2) | 0.81 |
| Class, mean (SD) | 1.91 (0.65) | 1.73 (0.53) | 0.060 |
| Current therapeutic agent | |||
| Methotrexate use, n (%) | 49 (62.8) | 56 (71.8) | 0.23 |
| Biological agent use, n (%) | 29 (37.2) | 26 (33.3) | 0.61 |
| Prednisolone use, n (%) | 28 (35.9) | 15 (19.2) | 0.019 |
RA patients are divided into the following two groups by median of serum 25(OH)D: lower status group (25(OH)D: 5.9–16.0 ng/ml) and higher status group (25(OH)D: 16.1–32.1 ng/ml). Data are presented as the mean (± standard deviation) or as the median (interquartile range (IQR)) for continuous variables, and as numbers (%) for categorial variables.
RA rheumatoid arthritis, MNA-SF Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form, DAS28 disease activity score using 28 joints, VAS visual analogue scale, HAQ health assessment questionnaire.