Clinical presentation of index event for the rheumatoid arthritis and control populations studied.
| Variable | RA (n = 40) | Controls (n = 40) | p Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Values are n (%). | ||||||
| Results were analysed using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test where n<5 in any cell. | ||||||
| RA, rheumatoid arthritis. | ||||||
| Presenting symptoms | ||||||
| Chest pain | 33 (82.5%) | 40 (100%) | 0.003 | |||
| Dyspnoea | 17 (42.5%) | 14 (35%) | NS | |||
| Collapse | 7 (17.5%) | 1 (2.5%) | 0.025 | |||
| Arrhythmia | 2 (5%) | 1 (2.5%) | NS | |||
| Killip class (severity) | ||||||
| I | 21 (52.5%) | 26 (65%) | NS | |||
| II | 18 (45%) | 14 (35%) | NS | |||
| III | 0 | 0 | NS | |||
| IV | 1 (2.5%) | 0 | NS | |||