Baseline Disease Activity Scores (DAS) and clinical outcomes at baseline, 3 and 6 months
| Intervention (n = 75) | Control (n = 55) | Mann–Whitney between groups | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 Months | 6 Months | 0 | 3 Months | 6 Months | ||
| Results are shown as medians. | |||||||
| VAS, visual analogue scale; EMS, early morning stiffness; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; DAS28, 28 joint count Disease Activity Score; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP, C reactive protein; IL6 interleukin 6; NS, not significant. | |||||||
| Tender joint count (0–28) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | – |
| Swollen joint count (0–28) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | – |
| Patient global VAS (0–100 mm) | 50 | 50 | 45 | 54 | 55 | 63 | 6 Months 0.002 |
| Pain score VAS (0–100 mm) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 62 | 63 | 3 Months 0.011 |
| 6 Months 0.049 | |||||||
| EMS (min) | 30 | 30 | 15 | 60 | 30 | 30 | 6 Months 0.041 |
| HAQ score (0–3) | 1.75 | 1.625 | 1.625 | 1.75 | 1.875 | 1.875 | 3 Months 0.03 |
| DAS28 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.8 | – |
| ESR (mm/1st h) | 19 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | – |
| CRP (mg/l) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | – |
| IL6 (pg/ml) | 4.7 | 3.85 | 3.35 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 5.3 | NS |