Characteristics and clinical outcomes for patients with RA starting anti-TNF therapy January 2004 to December 2007 in the county of Skåne, Sweden
| At treatment start | All n=365 | Women n=299 | Men n=66 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 46.1 (10.1) | 45.0 (10.3) | 47.8 (9.2) |
| Disease duration (median), months | 55.4 (23.4–124.6) | 58.6 (27.7–124.3) | 39.6 (18.4–128.4) |
| DAS28 | 5.2 (1.2) | 5.3 (1.2) | 5.1 (1.4) |
| HAQ | 1.05 (0.60) | 1.09 (0.59)* | 0.87 (0.59) |
| Swollen joints (28) | 8.4 (5.5) | 8.1 (5.4)* | 9.6 (5.6) |
| Tender joints (28) | 9.1 (6.9) | 9.1 (6.7) | 8.8 (7.4) |
| CRP (median) | 9.5 (2.6–21.0) | 9.0 (2.2–20.0)* | 13.0 (4.3–29.5) |
| SR (median) | 20.0 (12.0–35.0) | 20.5 (12.0–35.3) | 19.0 (10.5–31.0) |
| Global VAS | 61.4 (21.4) | 63.0 (20.3)* | 54.2 (23.5) |
| Pain VAS | 62.2 (20.7) | 62.9 (20.3) | 58.9 (22.3) |
| Ongoing DMARDs | 0.9 (0.6) | 0.9 (0.6) | 1.1 (0.6) |
| Point prevalence of SL, % | 38.6 | 39.8 | 33.3 |
| Point prevalence of DP, % | 34.2 | 35.5 | 28.8 |
| 6 months after treatment start: | |||
| DAS28 | 3.4 (1.2)† | 3.4 (1.2)† | 3.3 (1.4)† |
| HAQ | 0.72 (0.58)† | 0.73 (0.56)† | 0.67 (0.64)† |
| 12 months after treatment start: | |||
| DAS28 | 3.3 (1.4)† | 3.4 (1.3)† | 2.9 (1.5)† |
| HAQ | 0.71 (0.60)† | 0.73 (0.59)† | 0.62 (0.63)† |
Data expressed as mean (SD) or median (IQR). Valid data at treatment start: DAS28 n=346 (282 women, 64 men); HAQ n=353 (289 women, 64 men); swollen joints n=358 (293 women, 65 men); tender joints n=358 (293 women, 65 men); CRP n=356 (291 women, 65 men); SR n=351 (286 women, 65 men); global VAS n=352 (288 women, 64 men); pain VAS n=352 (288 women, 64 men); ongoing DMARDs n=365 (299 women, 66 men). At 6 months after treatment start: DAS28 n=194 (158 women, 36 men); HAQ n=201 (164 women, 37 men). At 12 months after treatment start: DAS28 n=172 (138 women, 34 men); HAQ n=176 (142 women, 34 men).
↵* Significant difference between men and women (p<0.05).
↵† Significant difference compared to the value for the parameter at treatment start (p<0.05).
CRP, C reactive protein; DAS, disease activity score; DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; DP, disability pension; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SL, sick leave; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; VAS, visual analogue scale.