Number of RCTs reporting the efficacy of each synthetic DMARD and characteristics of patients with RA
| Drug | Number of studies | Number of patients | Age (years) (mean±SD) | Sex (% of women) | Disease duration (years) (mean±SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTX | 17 | 4147 | 49.7±3.4 | 72.4 | 6.7±4.5 |
| Leflunomide | 9 | 3617 | 54.3±4.2 | 74.5 | 6.3±2.5 |
| Sulfasalazine | 22 | 2813 | 52.1±4.0 | 68.8 | 5.6 ± 3.6 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 20 | 2182 | 45.5±6.0 | 73.5 | 3.8±3.0 |
| Intramuscular gold | 10 | 1716 | 51.4±5.0 | 70.7 | 5.4±6.8 |
| Auranofin | 5 | 1252 | 51.7±3.0 | 69.9 | 5.7±2.6 |
| Ciclosporin | 20 | 2715 | 48.4±4.7 | 72.2 | 4.7±4.3 |
| Tetracyclins | 10 | 652 | 45.9±5.0 | 75.2 | 6.2±4.5 |
| d-Penicillamine | 9 | 888 | 51.9±4.3 | 68.7 | 7.8±3.9 |
| Azathioprine | 6 | 544 | 54.7±1.1 | 74.2 | 9.8±2.3 |
| Tacrolimus | 3 | 911 | 53.4±2.0 | 79.0 | 10.7±1.0 |
DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; MTX, methotrexate; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RCTs, randomised controlled trials.