Clinical characteristics of the 226 patients enrolled in the study
| Characteristic | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Results are expressed as median (interquartile range) unless stated otherwise. | ||
| *On a 10 cm VAS. | ||
| Age (years) | 66 (57–74) | |
| Women, No (%) | 165 (73) | |
| Duration of disease (years) | 8.6 (4.2–17.9) | |
| Number of months receiving MTX | 51 (19–97) | |
| Presence of rheumatoid factors (IgM), No (%) | 156 (69) | |
| Administration of low dose corticosteroids, No (%) | 107 (47) | |
| Weekly MTX dose (mg) | 15 (10–17.5) | |
| Folic acid supplementation, No (%) | 184 (81) | |
| Number of tender joints | 1.0 (0–5.0) | |
| Number of swollen joints | 3.0 (1.0–6.0) | |
| Physician’s global assessment of disease activity (10 cm VAS) | 2.5 (1.2–4.3) | |
| Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire | 0.375 (0–0.750) | |
| Physician’s assessment of patient’s response to MTX >2 cm (poor response)*, No (%) of patients | 113 (50) | |