Clinical and paraclinical data of the two groups at the time of entry. Data are given as median and range
| DMARD alone (n=34) | Prednisolone (n=42) | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 65 (26–80) | 60 (20–83) | NS |
| Disease duration (y) | 8.5 (0.5–36) | 2.8 (0.5–30) | p<0.05 |
| Steinbrocker class l / ll / lll | 20 / 13 / 1 | 24 / 18 / 0 | |
| Tender joints (max 40) | 7 (0–38) | 8 (0–37) | NS |
| Swollen joints (max 40) | 9 (3–29) | 12 (5–24) | NS |
| Doctors’ global (0–10) | 6 (2–8) | 6 (3–10) | NS |
| Patients’ global (0–10) | 6 (2–10) | 7 (3–10) | NS |
| HAQ score (0–3) | 0.9 (0–2.3) | 1.0 (0.1–1.8) | NS |
| ESR (mm 1st h) | 44 (10–97) | 45 (12–110) | NS |
| CRP (nmol/l) | 348 (29–988) | 310 (35–1771) | N.S |
| Larsen score | 31.5 (15–45) | 28.5 (12–37) | NS |
| BMD spine (g/cm2) | 0.867 (0.732–1.030) | 0.987 (0.0.909–1.075) | p<0.01 |
| BMD arm (g/cm2) | 0.372 (0.304–0.457) | 0.413 (0.354–0.451) | NS |
| BMD hand (g/cm2) | 0.222 (0.166–0.272) | 0.220 (0.196–0.257) | NS |