Patient characteristics
| Total cohort (N=1016) | No CVD event (N=913) | CVD event (N=103) | p Value (CVD vs no CVD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean±SD | 54±13 | 53±14 | 62±10 | <0.001 |
| Sex (female), n (%) | 674 (66.3) | 620 (67.9) | 54 (52.4) | 0.002 |
| Currently smoking, n (%) | 313 (30.8) | 280 (30.7) | 40 (38.8) | 0.133 |
| BMI (weight(kg)/height(m)2), mean±SD | 25.5±4.3 | 25.5±4.3 | 26.9±4.1 | 0.004 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg), mean±SD | 146±24 | 145±24 | 156±25 | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg), mean±SD | 84±11 | 84±12 | 87±9 | 0.004 |
| Hypertension (physician diagnosis) | ||||
| At baseline, n (%) | 144 (14.2) | 117 (12.8) | 27 (26.2) | <0.001 |
| During follow-up, n (%) | 260 (25.6) | 220 (24.1) | 40 (38.8) | 0.002 |
| Antihypertensives, n (%) | 159 (15.6) | 130 (14.2) | 29 (28.2) | <0.001 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L), mean±SD | 5.2±1.3 | 5.2±1.3 | 5.2±1.3 | 0.743 |
| HDL-cholesterol, mean±SD | 1.3±0.3 | 1.3±0.3 | 1.2±0.3 | 0.018 |
| TC:HDL-c ratio, mean±SD | 4.2±1.0 | 4.1±1.1 | 4.5±1.2 | 0.037 |
| LDL-cholesterol, mean±SD | 3.2±1.1 | 3.2±1.0 | 3.2±1.1 | 0.526 |
| Non-HDL cholesterol, mean±SD | 3.9±1.1 | 3.9±1.1 | 4.0±1.2 | 0.296 |
| Lipid-lowering agents, n (%) | 40 (3.9) | 33 (3.6) | 7 (6.8) | 0.191 |
| Diabetes mellitus | ||||
| At baseline, n (%) | 44 (4.3) | 36 (3.9) | 8 (7.8) | 0.121 |
| During follow-up, n (%) | 84 (8.3) | 69 (7.6) | 15 (14.6) | 0.024 |
| Family history of CVD, n (%) | 312 (30.7) | 274 (30.0) | 38 (36.9) | 0.180 |
| Rheumatoid factor (positivity), n (%) | 761 (74.9) | 680 (74.5) | 81 (78.6) | 0.427 |
| Anti-CCP (positivity), n (%) | 643 (63.3) | 592 (64.8) | 68 (66) | 0.803 |
| DAS28, mean±SD | 4.9±1.3 | 4.9±1.3 | 5.3±1.3 | 0.002 |
| Swollen joint count, median (IQR) | 8 (5–12) | 8 (5–12) | 9 (5–13) | 0.104 |
| Tender joint count, median (IQR) | 5 (3–10) | 5 (3–10) | 7 (2–12) | 0.057 |
| ESR, median (IQR) | 25 (16–45) | 24 (16–45) | 35 (21–50) | 0.002 |
| VAS, median (IQR) | 41 (30–57) | 40 (29–56) | 48 (32–65) | 0.008 |
| CRP, median (IQR) | 16 (3–42) | 15 (3–41) | 26 (6–48) | 0.023 |
| HAQ, median (IQR) | 0.6 (0.3–1.1) | 0.6 (0.3–1.1) | 0.8 (0.3–1.1) | 0.054 |
| MTX treatment ever, n (%) | 555 (54.6) | 506 (55.4) | 49 (47.6) | 0.158 |
| Biological DMARDs ever, n (%) | 221 (21.8) | 213 (23.3) | 8 (7.8) | <0.001 |
Hypertension is defined as multiple measurements of elevated systolic blood pressure (>140 mm Hg) during multiple visits by a physician. Diabetes mellitus includes both type I and type II. All variables represent baseline measures, except when otherwise stated.
anti-CCP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide; BMI, body mass index; CRP, C reactive protein; CVD, cardiovascular disease; DAS28, 28-joint disease activity score; DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MTX, methotrexate; TC, total cholesterol; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale (patient global VAS).