Characteristics of the delayed treatment group and the early treatment group
| Characteristic | Delayed group (n = 78) | Early group (n = 75) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Results are shown as number (%) or median (interquartilerange) | |||
| *Defined as at least three of the following criteria: morning stiffness longer than 30 minutes, more than five swollen joints, Ritchie score greater than 15, or ESR greater than 28 mm/1st h; †percentage in relation to baseline ESR; ‡p<0.05 in the delayed treatment group versus those in the early treatment group. | |||
| Age (years) | 57 (44–65) | 52 (42–68) | |
| Female sex | 57 (73) | 51 (68) | |
| Duration of symptoms at first visit (days) | 171 (93–305) | 128 (62–246) | |
| Definite rheumatoid arthritis | 52 (67) | 51 (68) | |
| Probable rheumatoid arthritis | 26 (33) | 24 (32) | |
| Rheumatoid factor positive | 48 (62) | 44 (59) | |
| Active disease* | 33 (42) | 34 (45) | |
| Time to start disease modifying drug treatment from first visit (days) | 152 (55–293) | 15 (14–21) | ‡ |
| ESR (mm/1st h) | |||
| At baseline | 36 (100) | 29 (100) | ‡ |
| 6 Months† | 36 (100) | 20 (67) | |
| 1 Year | 32 (89) | 13 (45) | |
| 2 Years | 27 (75) | 18 (62) | |
| 3 Years | 24 (67) | 17 (59) | |
| 4 Years | 24 (67) | 17 (59) | |
| DMARD use (patients) | |||
| 2 Weeks | 0 (0) | 75 (100) | ‡ |
| 1 Year | 42 (54) | 72 (96) | ‡ |
| 2 Years | 41 (53) | 70 (93) | ‡ |
| 3 Years | 48 (62) | 67 (89) | ‡ |
| 4 Years | 49 (63) | 65 (87) | ‡ |
| Cumulative number of DMARDs per person in 4 years | 1 (0–3) | 2 (1–3) | ‡ |
| Sharp score at baseline | 0 (0–2) | 0 (0–3) | |