Serum Samples That Have Been Stored Long-Term (>10 Years) Can Be Used as a Suitable Data Source for Developing Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Models in Large Observational Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohorts

Table 1

Patient characteristics.

	Subcohorts
	1; 1985–1989	2; 1990–1994	3; 1995–1999	4; 2000–2004	5; 2005–2009
Age^a
Female^b	16 (53.3)	19 (61.3)	17 (56.7)	25 (83.3)	21 (67.7)
RF positive^b	26 (86.7)	23 (74.2)	25 (83.3)	23 (76.7)	25 (80.6)
DAS28^a
BMI^a
Smokers^b	14 (46.7)	6 (19.4)	10 (33.3)	9 (30.0)	9 (29.0)
Statin use^b	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	2 (6.7)	2 (6.7)	9 (29.0)
Glucocorticosteroid use^b	3 (10.0)	3 (9.7)	5 (16.7)	17 (56.7)	17 (54.8)
Baseline lipoprotein levels
TC (mmol/L)^a
HDL-c (mmol/L)^a
TC : HDL-c^a
Treatment during follow-up
B-DMARDS^b	9 (30.0)	13 (41.9)	10 (33.3)	17 (56.7)	3 (9.7)

(i) Abbreviations: RF, rheumatoid factor; DAS28; disease activity index 28 joints, BMI: body mass index, TC, total cholesterol; HDL-c, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, B-DMARDS; biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
(ii) ^aData presented as mean ± SD, ^bData presented as (%).