Baseline characteristics of patients with remission and patients without remission during four years follow up.
| Variable | Patients without a period of remission (n = 283) | Patients with ⩾1 period of remission (n = 142) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, health assessment questionnaire; VAS, visual analogue scale. | |||
| Age (years), median | 56 | 60 | <0.05 |
| Mean (SD) | 55 (14) | 58 (15) | |
| Female sex | 71% | 65% | NS |
| ESR (mm/h), median | 37 | 34 | NS |
| Mean (SD) | 42 (27) | 42 (29) | |
| Morning stiffness (min), median | 90 | 60 | <0.05 |
| Mean (SD) | 113 (130) | 94 (122) | |
| Pain (mm), median | 50 | 30 | <0.0001 |
| Mean (SD) | 50 (26) | 35 (21) | |
| Joint score (Thompson), median | 127 | 113 | NS |
| Mean (SD) | 153 (110) | 132 (95) | |
| Rheumatoid factor positive | 74% | 54% | <0.0001 |
| VAS, general wellbeing (mm), median | 52 | 47 | <0.0001 |
| Mean (SD) | 53 (24) | 43 (28) | |
| Grip strength (kPa), median | 27 | 32 | <0.01 |
| Mean (SD) | 30 (20) | 36 (21) | |
| Functional disability (HAQ), median | 1.4 | 1.0 | <0.01 |
| Mean (SD) | 1.4 (0.7) | 1.2 (0.8) | |
| Radiographic damage (Sharp/ van der Heijde score), median | 2.0 | 2.5 | NS |
| Mean (SD) | 5 (8) | 5 (8) | |