Table 1.
comparison between selected characteristics of patients with RA vs controls.
| RA n = 161 |
Controls n = 72 |
p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (range) | 58 (18-89) | 59 (36-73) | 0.55 |
| Scholarship ≤ high school | 117 (73) | 54 (75) | 0.71 |
| Employee, n (%) | 44 (70) | 19 (30) | 0.88 |
| Menopause, n (%) | 132 (82) | 60 (83) | 0.80 |
| Sedentary, n (%) | 105 (65) | 37 (51) | 0.05 |
| Weight (kg), median (range) | 63.0 (39.5-96.0) | 69.6 (52.8-96.6) | <0.001 |
| Height (cm), median (range) | 155 (137-170) | 155 (142-171) | 0.50 |
| BMI (kg/m2), median (range) | 26.3 (16.5-39.5) | 28.3 (20.8-42.1) | <0.001 |
| Arterial hypertension, n (%) | 55 (70) | 24 (33) | 0.90 |
| SMI (kg/m2) | 5.44 (2.69-9.53) | 6.58 (5.5-10.73) | <0.001 |
| Low muscle mass (SMI < 5.5 kg/m2), n (%) | 86 (53) | 0 (0) | NA |
| FFMI (kg/m2) | 13.7 (9.7-23.5) | 15.7 (12.6-20.5) | <0.001 |
| FMI (kg/m2) | 12.2 (4.1-21.7) | 13.2 (7.9-23.2) | 0.004 |
| Rheumatoid cachexia, n (%) | 30 (19) | NA | NA |
| Myostatin (ng/mL) | 11.89 (1.2-140) | 7.9 (1.2-19.6) | <0.001 |
| High myostatin (≥17 ng/mL) | 54 (34) | 3 (4) | <0.001 |
BMI: body mass index (kg/m2); SMI: skeletal muscle index; FFMI: fat-free mass index; FMI: fat mass index; NA: not applicable. Quantitative variables expressed in medians and ranges and compared by Mann–Whitney U tests; qualitative variables expressed in frequency and (%) and compared by chi-square tests.