Table 1

Baseline demographics. Results are given as No (%) unless otherwise staed

0–6 Months0–12 Months0–24 Months
LEF1-150 (n=133)PL (n=92)SSZ1-150 (n=133)LEF (n=80)SSZ (n=76)PL-SSZ (n=41)LEF (n=60)SSZ (n=60)PL-SSZ (n=26)
Female101  (76)69  (75)92  (69)60  (75)50  (66)31  (76)49  (82)41  (68)19  (73)
Mean age (years)58 (11)59 (12)59 (11)58 (11)59 (11)59 (12)58 (11)59 (11)59 (12)
Mean (SD) disease
duration (years)
8 (9)6 (7)7 (10)6 (7)7 (9)6 (7)7 (8)6 (9)5 (5)
 ⩽250 (38)41 (45)56 (42)33 (41)32 (42)19 (46)25 (42)26 (43)12 (46)
 >283 (62)51 (55)77 (58)47 (59)44 (58)22 (54)35 (58)34 (57)26 (54)
Functional class
 I10 (8)3 (3)6 (5)5 (6)3 (4)1 (2)3 (5)1 (2)0 (0)
 II74 (56)50 (54)76 (57)46 (58)45 (59)21 (51)36 (60)38 (63)15 (58)
 III49 (37)39 (42)51 (38)28 (36)28 (37)19 (46)21 (35)21 (35)11 (42)
No prior DMARDs1-150 53 (40)49 (53)68 (51)31 (39)39 (51)21 (51)24 (40)32 (53)13 (50)
NSAID1-150 use112 (84)78 (85)99 (74)66 (83)55 (72)33 (81)48 (80)47 (78)22 (85)
Steroid use45 (34)30 (33)42 (32)35 (44)36 (47)19 (46)30 (50)31 (52)12 (46)
  • 1-150 DMARDs = disease modifying antirheumatic drugs; NSAID = non-steroidal antirheumatic drug; LEF = leflunomide; PL = placebo; SSZ = sulfasalazine.