Patient details at time of initial clinic visit (medians and interquartile ranges are shown where appropriate)
| Group 1 (pre 1986) (n=36) | Group 2 (1986–1989) (n=36) | Group 3 (1990–1993) (n=52) | Group 4 (1994–1997) (n=74) | Kruskal-Wallis (χ2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 44 (37–54) | 53 (44–63) | 53 (42–62) | 64 (49–68) | p<0.001 |
| Female (%) | 78 | 86 | 65 | 71 | (NS) |
| RF positive (%) | 78 | 86 | 71 | 75 | (NS) |
| Erosive (%) | 67 | 54 | 54 | 49 | (NS p=0.4) |
| ESR | 38 (20–50) | 32 (11–46) | 29 (19–57) | 42 (25–57) | NS |
| CRP | — | 12 (0–39) | 20 (0–52) | 25 (10–66) | NS |