Baseline characteristics of the nbDMARD- and anti-TNF-treated patients
| Characteristic | nbDMARD n=3673 | Anti-TNF n=11 881 | p Value | ETN n=4139 | INF n=3475 | ADA n=4267 | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 60 (12) | 56 (12) | 0.0001 | 56 (12) | 56 (12) | 57 (12) | 0.0184 |
| Gender, % female | 72 | 76 | <0.0001 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 0.203 |
| Disease duration, median (IQR) years | 6 (1–15) | 11 (6–19) | 0.0001 | 12 (6–19) | 12 (6–19) | 10 (5–18) | 0.0001 |
| DAS28 score, mean (SD) | 5.1 (1.3) | 6.6 (1.0) | 0.0001 | 6.6 (1.0) | 6.6 (1.0) | 6.5 (1.0) | 0.0001 |
| HAQ score, mean (SD) | 1.5 (0.8) | 2.0 (0.6) | 0.0001 | 2.1 (0.6) | 2.1 (0.5) | 2.0 (0.6) | 0.0001 |
| Corticosteroids, no. (%) | 837 (23) | 5, 252 (44) | <0.0001 | 1979 (48) | 1609 (46) | 1664 (39) | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes, no. (%) | 247 (7) | 685 (6) | 0.033 | 255 (6) | 169 (5) | 261 (6) | 0.026 |
| Hypertension, no. (%) | 1171 (32) | 3563 (30) | 0.041 | 1283 (31) | 966 (28) | 1314 (31) | 0.002 |
| Smoking history, no. (%) | 0.001 | 0.056 | |||||
| Current smoker | 868 (24) | 2580 (22) | 846 (21) | 757 (22) | 977 (24) | ||
| Former smoker | 1454 (40) | 4510 (38) | 1576 (38) | 1314 (38) | 1620 (38) | ||
| Never smoked | 1333 (36) | 4714 (40) | 1691 (41) | 1386 (40) | 1637 (39) |
ADA, adalimumab; Anti-TNF, anti-tumour necrosis factor; DAS28, 28-joint Disease Activity Score; ETN, etanercept; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; INF, infliximab; nbDMARD, non-biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug.