Table 1

Patient demographic and clinical characteristics

ParameterNot deceasedDeceasedTotal
N 3339 390 3729
General
Age (years)55.5 (15.2)69.7 (14.6)57.0 (15.7)
 ≤30197 (5.9)9 (2.3)206 (5.5)
 31–501012 (30.3)31 (7.9)1043 (28)
 51–651255 (37.6)82 (21)1337 (35.9)
 66–75536 (16.1)109 (27.9)645 (17.3)
 >75339 (10.2)159 (40.8)498 (13.4)
Male sex1031 (30.9)164 (42.1)1195 (32)
Ever smoker664 (23.3)
(N=2854)
(Missing=485)
112 (36.1)
(N=310)
(Missing=80)
776 (24.5)
(N=3164)
(Missing=565)
Regions
 African region14 (0.4)2 (0.5)16 (0.4)
 Eastern Mediterranean region83 (2.5)11 (2.8)94 (2.5)
 European region2040 (61.1)275 (70.5)2315 (62.1)
 North American region1024 (30.7)81 (20.8)1105 (29.6)
 South American region112 (3.4)10 (2.6)122 (3.3)
 South-East Asian region11 (0.3)011 (0.3)
 Western Pacific region55 (1.6)11 (2.8)66 (1.8)
Inflammatory joint diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis1224 (36.7)170 (43.6)1394 (37.4)
Spondyloarthritis416 (12.5)15 (3.8)431 (11.6)
Psoriatic arthritis420 (12.6)20 (5.1)440 (11.8)
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (poly, oligo, not systemic)21 (0.6)4 (1)25 (0.7)
Other inflammatory arthritis90 (2.7)8 (2.1)98 (2.6)
Total Inflammatory joint diseases2158 (64.6)215 (55.1)2373 (63.6)
Connective tissue diseases/Vasculitis
Systemic lupus erythematosus355 (10.6)36 (9.2)391 (10.5)
Connective tissue diseases (other than SLE)473 (14.2)60 (15.4)533 (14.3)
Vasculitis258 (7.7)68 (17.4)326 (8.7)
Total CTD1035 (31)158 (40.5)1193 (32.0)
Other RMDs
Total306 (9.2)50 (12.8)356 (9.5)
Disease activity N=2464
(Missing=875)
N=294
(Missing=96)
N=2758
(Missing=971)
Remission799 (32.4)94 (32)893 (32.4)
Minimal/low disease activity1202 (48.8)107 (36.4)1309 (47.5)
Moderate disease activity388 (15.7)60 (20.4)448 (16.2)
Severe/high disease activity75 (3)33 (11.2)108 (3.9)
Other outcomes
Hospitalised1368 (43.3)
(N=3162)
(Missing=177)
371 (96.6)
(N=384)
(Missing=6)
1739 (49)
(N=3546)
(Missing=183)
Invasive ventilation67 (2.5)
(N=2701)
(Missing=638)
120 (40.8)
(N=294)
(Missing=96)
187 (6.2)
(N=2995)
(Missing=734)
Comorbidities N=3314
(Missing=25)
N=386
(Missing=4)
N=3700
(Missing=29)
Hypertension1095 (33)212 (54.9)1307 (35.3)
Cardiovascular disease318 (9.6)124 (32.1)442 (11.9)
Cerebrovascular disease89 (2.7)20 (5.2)109 (2.9)
Chronic lung disease581 (17.5)138 (35.8)719 (19.4)
Chronic kidney disease181 (5.5)77 (19.9)258 (7)
Obesity (BMI ≥30)539 (16.3)58 (15)597 (16.1)
Morbid obesity (BMI ≥40)106 (3.2)16 (4.1)122 (3.3)
Diabetes410 (12.4)95 (24.6)505 (13.6)
Cancer165 (5)49 (12.7)214 (5.8)
Other comorbidities771 (23.3)126 (32.6)897 (24.2)
Number of comorbities1.3 (1.3)2.5 (1.6)1.4 (1.3)
 No comorbidity1090 (32.9)28 (7.3)1118 (30.2)
 One comorbidity1032 (31.1)83 (21.5)1115 (30.1)
 Two comorbidities597 (18)110 (28.5)707 (19.1)
 ≥3 comorbidites595 (18)165 (42.7)760 (20.5)
DMARD therapies
csDMARDs monotherapy592 (17.7)59 (15.1)651 (17.5)
csDMARDs combination therapy692 (20.7)61 (15.6)753 (20.2)
 Methotrexate monotherapy531 (15.9)47 (12.1)578 (15.5)
 Methotrexate combination therapy607 (18.2)52 (13.3)659 (17.7)
 Leflunomide monotherapy61 (1.8)12 (3.1)73 (2)
 Leflunomide combination therapy120 (3.6)10 (2.6)130 (3.5)
 Sulfasalazine monotherapy51 (1.5)16 (4.1)67 (1.8)
 Sulfasalazine combination therapy129 (3.9)26 (6.7)155 (4.2)
 Antimalarial monotherapy287 (8.6)17 (4.4)304 (8.2)
 Antimalarial combination therapy322 (9.6)39 (10)361 (9.7)
Immunosuppressants monotherapy149 (4.5)26 (6.7)175 (4.7)
Immunosuppressants combination therapy147 (4.4)21 (5.4)168 (4.5)
 Mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy68 (2)14 (3.6)82 (2.2)
 Mycophenolate mofetil combination therapy81 (2.4)15 (3.8)96 (2.6)
 Azathioprine monotherapy63 (1.9)7 (1.8)70 (1.9)
 Azathioprine combination therapy51 (1.5)3 (0.8)54 (1.4)
 Cyclophosphamide monotherapy10 (0.3)3 (0.8)13 (0.3)
 Cyclophosphamide combination therapy5 (0.1)5 (1.3)10 (0.3)
 Tacrolimus monotherapy5 (0.1)2 (0.5)7 (0.2)
 Tacrolimus combination therapy11 (0.3)011 (0.3)
 Ciclosporin monotherapy3 (0.1)03 (0.1)
 Ciclosporin combination therapy11 (0.3)1 (0.3)12 (0.3)
bDMARDs monotherapy675 (20.2)48 (12.3)723 (19.4)
bDMARDs combination therapy562 (16.8)46 (11.8)608 (16.3)
TNF inhibitors monotherapy434 (13)13 (3.3)447 (12)
TNF inhibitors combination therapy340 (10.2)17 (4.4)357 (9.6)
Abatacept monotherapy28 (0.8)4 (1)32 (0.9)
Abatacept combination therapy46 (1.4)5 (1.3)51 (1.4)
B-cell-targeted bDMARDs monotherapy71 (2.1)25 (6.4)96 (2.6)
B-cell-targeted bDMARDs combination therapy106 (3.2)18 (4.6)124 (3.3)
 Rituximab monotherapy66 (2)25 (6.4)91 (2.4)
 Rituximab combination therapy85 (2.5)17 (4.4)102 (2.7)
 Belimumab monotherapy5 (0.1)05 (0.1)
 Belimumab combination therapy22 (0.7)1 (0.3)23 (0.6)
IL-6 inhibitors monotherapy51 (1.5)3 (0.8)54 (1.4)
IL-6 inhibitors combination therapy34 (1)2 (0.5)36 (1)
IL-1 inhibitors monotherapy10 (0.3)2 (0.5)12 (0.3)
IL-1 inhibitors combination therapy4 (0.1)4 (1)8 (0.2)
IL-17, IL-23, IL-12/23 inhibitors monotherapy79 (2.4)1 (0.3)80 (2.1)
IL-17, IL-23, IL-12/23 inhibitors combination therapy36 (1.1)036 (1)
tsDMARDs monotherapy61 (1.8)5 (1.3)66 (1.8)
tsDMARDs (*) combination therapy71 (2.1)10 (2.6)81 (2.2)
 JAK inhibitors monotherapy54 (1.6)4 (1)58 (1.6)
 JAK inhibitors combination therapy67 (2)9 (2.3)76 (2)
 Apremilast monotherapy7 (0.2)1 (0.3)8 (0.2)
 Apremilast combination therapy3 (0.1)1 (0.3)4 (0.1)
No DMARD therapies615 (18.4)124 (31.8)739 (19.8)
Further therapies
Glucocorticoids (#)1056 (32)
(N=3302)
(Missing=37)
217 (57.1)
(N=380)
(Missing=10)
1273 (34.6)
(N=3682)
(Missing=47)
 Glucocorticoids 1–10 mg/day833 (25.6)
(N=3254)
(Missing=85)
150 (41.3)
(N=363)
(Missing=27)
983 (27.2)
(N=3617)
(Missing=112)
 Glucocorticoids>10 mg/day171 (5.3)
(N=3254)
(Missing=85)
49 (13.5)
(N=363)
(Missing=27)
220 (6.1)
(N=3617)
(Missing=112)
NSAIDs600 (19.3)
(N=3103)
(Missing=236)
38 (11.0)
(N=345)
(Missing=45)
638 (18.5)
(N=3448)
(Missing=281)
  • Data are N (column %) for categorical variables or mean (SD) for continuous variables. The table includes all patients with a non-missing outcome and non-missing values for age, sex and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (101 patients excluded). Data refer to patients with non-missing values for the respective variable; total N for patients with non-missing values is given in parentheses for variables with missing values; the total number of missing values is also given in parenthesis, for the applicable variables. (*) Includes one patient on a study medication (Lenabasum). (#) Includes patients with a missing glucocorticoid dosage.

  • bDMARD, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; BMI, body mass index; csDMARD, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; CTD, connective tissue diseases; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; IL, interleukin; JAK, Janus kinase; JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; N, number; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; tsDMARD, targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug.