Table 1

Characteristics of the 14 studies included in the meta-analysis to assess the risk of new cardiovascular events in patients with RA

Author (year)	Country	N	Mean disease duration at entry (years)	Person-years at risk	Enrolment period	CVD events (n)	CVD included	Sample type	Inception cohort	Subjects' mean age at entry (years)	Female (%)	RA definition	Outcome ascertainment	Quality score
Gabriel et al (1999)^*	USA	450	0 (^@)	NAV	1965–1995	113	AMI, CVA, CHF	Community-based	Yes	64.1	74	ARA	MR	14
Del Rincón et al (2001)	USA	234	10 (^#)	252	1996	15	AMI, CVA	Clinic-based	No	56	62.3	ACR	MR	10
Watson et al (2003)	UK	11 633	NAV	NAV	1987 to last encounter	807	AMI, CVA	Community-based	No	NAV	70	ICD-9 codes		9
Solomon et al (2003)	USA	407	NAV	6259	1978–1996	24	AMI, CVA	Community-based	Yes	58	100	ACR	MR	14
Turesson et al (2004)	Sweden	1022	NAV	2300	1997	54	AMI, CVA	Community-based	No	NAV	74	ACR	ICD-9/10 codes	7
Fischer et al (2004)^†	UK	208	NAV	NAV	1995–2002	208	AMI	Community-based	No	NAV	62	Read codes	Read codes	11
Goodson et al (2005)	UK	515	NAV	3173	1981–1996	134	AMI, CVA	Clinic-based	Yes	56.2	72	Rheumatologist's opinion	ICD-9 codes	9
Maradit-Kremers et al (2005)^*	USA	603	0 (^@)	8672	1955–1995	40	AMI	Community-based	Yes	58	73	ACR	MR	14
Nicola et al (2005)^*	USA	575	0 (^@)	8107	1955–1995	575	CHF	Community-based	Yes	57.1	73	ACR	Framingham criteria	14
Solomon et al (2006)	Canada	24 413	NAV	68 525	1999–2003	828	AMI, CVA	Community-based	No	NAV	74	ICD-9 codes	ICD-9/10 codes	8
Södergren et al (2007)^†	Sweden	640	NAV	NAV	1979	35	AMI	Clinic-based	No	NAV	68	Seropositive RA	MONICA definition	8
Nadareishvili et al (2008)^†	USA	226	NAV	NAV	1999–2006	226	CVA	Community-based	No	NAV	87	Rheumatologist's opinion	MR	7
Bergström et al (2009)^‡
1978 cohort	Sweden	148	13.9	1184	1978	31	AMI	Community-based	No	46.3	79	ARA	ICD-8,9,10 codes	10
1995 cohort	Sweden	161	13.3	1288	1995	37	CVA			48.3	78	ARA
Peters et al (2009)	Netherlands	312	7	848	2001–2002	28	CVD	Clinic-based	No	63	65	ACR	MR	10

↵* Studies from the same cohort.
↵† Case–control study.
↵‡ Study with two cohorts.
↵# Disease duration not mentioned, but from the article we inferred at least 10 years.
↵@ Inception cohort, we assumed time 0 to entry cohort.
ACR, American College of Rheumatology; AMI, acute myocardial infarction; ARA, American Rheumatology Association; CHF, congestive heart failure; CVA, cerebrovascular accidents; CVD, cardiovascular disease; ICD, International Classification for Diseases; MONICA, multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease; MR, medical record; NAV, not available; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.