Clinical characteristics and their variation by Carstairs score
| Characteristic | n | Median (interquartile range) or count (percentage) | Percentage above median or positive for characteristic | Unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI)1-151 | p Value for trend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q11-150 (n=252) | Q2 (n=242) | Q3 (n=247) | Q4 (n=247) | ||||||||
| Age (years) | 988 | 56 (44–65) | 49.2 | 43.8 | 48.2 | 48.6 | 0.94 (0.66 to 1.33) | >0.2 | |||
| Female (%) | 988 | 643 (65.1) | 62.7 | 65.3 | 66.4 | 67.0 | 0.97 (0.64 to 1.46) | >0.2 | |||
| Symptom duration (months) | 988 | 6 (4–11.5) | 52.0 | 45.5 | 51.0 | 48.2 | 0.68 (0.48 to 0.97) | 0.16 | |||
| Clinical markers at presentation visit | |||||||||||
| RF1-154 positive (%) | 984 | 615 (62.5) | 64.5 | 64.1 | 59.4 | 62.0 | 0.77 (0.52 to 1.15) | 0.17 | |||
| x Ray erosions (%) | 859 | 245 (28.5) | 24.1 | 23.3 | 25.7 | 28.9 | 1.37 (0.88 to 2.12) | 0.15 | |||
| HAQ1-154 | 983 | 1 (0.5–1.625) | 40.9 | 42.7 | 49.2 | 52.9 | 1.87 (1.31 to 2.66) | 0.001 | |||
| ESR1-154 | 8521-152 | 34 (17–58) | 47.0 | 46.2 | 49.3 | 53.4 | 1.29 (0.84 to 1.98) | >0.2 | |||
| Joint score | 985 | 14 (7–25) | 46.8 | 44.4 | 50.0 | 54.1 | 1.77 (1.23 to 2.54) | 0.002 | |||
| Pain score | 953 | 41 (22–61) | 45.6 | 50.8 | 49.6 | 52.8 | 1.08 (0.75 to 1.54) | >0.2 | |||
| Grip strength | 983 | 140 (95–210) | 52.0 | 52.3 | 46.9 | 43.3 | 0.74 (0.52 to 1.05) | 0.09 | |||
| Clinical markers at three years | |||||||||||
| HAQ | 831 | 0.75 (0.25–1.375) | 41.0 | 50.5 | 49.5 | 50.0 | 1.82 (1.24 to 2.67) | 0.002 | |||
| ESR | 7031-151 | 20 (10–41) | 43.2 | 48.4 | 51.4 | 51.1 | 1.27 (0.80 to 2.02) | >0.2 | |||
| Joint score | 828 | 7 (2–16.5) | 36.9 | 49.0 | 51.2 | 57.1 | 1.91 (1.28 to 2.86) | 0.001 | |||
| Pain score | 822 | 27 (7–50) | 45.8 | 54.2 | 43.6 | 52.8 | 1.12 (0.76 to 1.64) | >0.2 | |||
| Grip strength | 832 | 170 (115–260) | 59.4 | 49.5 | 42.9 | 43.4 | 0.60 (0.41 to 0.88) | 0.008 | |||
| Function grade II–IV (%) | 838 | 444 (53.0) | 42.4 | 53.4 | 55.1 | 61.7 | 1.95 (1.25 to 3.02) | 0.003 | |||
| Died (%) | 37 (3.7) | 2.6 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 1.4 (0.55 to 3.6) | >0.2 | ||||
| Change in clinical markers, presentation to three years | |||||||||||
| HAQ | 829 | −0.125 (−0.63–0.25) | 43.3 | 49.3 | 43.4 | 45.6 | 0.90 (0.62 to 1.32) | >0.2 | |||
| ESR | 7021-152 | −8 (−26–3) | 45.2 | 51.6 | 53.7 | 45.8 | 0.87 (0.55 to 1.37) | >0.2 | |||
| Joint score | 826 | −5 (−14–2) | 43.9 | 53.2 | 48.5 | 42.9 | 0.87 (0.60 to 1.27) | >0.2 | |||
| Pain score | 795 | −10 (−32–8) | 50.0 | 50.0 | 40.2 | 50.3 | 1.05 (0.71 to 1.56) | >0.2 | |||
| Grip strength | 820 | 20 (−20–70) | 52.3 | 43.4 | 47.3 | 48.5 | 1.02 (0.70 to 1.49) | >0.2 | |||
↵1-150 Quartile of the Carstairs distribution: Q1 least deprived, Q4 most deprived.
↵1-151 Odds ratio associated with an increase from the 5th to the 95th centile of the Carstairs score.
↵1-152 Viscosity and not ESR was recorded at one centre.
↵1-154 RF = rheumatoid factor; HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate.