Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Profile in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Low Disease Activity

Table 1

Characteristics of 70 patients with RA and without CVD.

Characteristics	Overall; (n=70)	Female; (n=54)	Male; (n=16)	p; (F vs. M)
Age, years	53.9 (13.1)	53.6 (12.4)	54.3 (10.3)	0.8
RA related variables:
Disease duration, years	6.9 (3.3)	7.0 (3.4)	6.3 (3.1)	0.4
Low RA activity duration, years	4.2 (1.2)	4.2 (1.2)	4.0 (1.0)	0.6
Positive RF-IgM	54 (77.1)	41 (75.9)	13 (81.3)	0.7
Positive anti-CCP	53 (75.7)	40 (74.1)	13 (81.3)	0.6
Erosions (hands/feet)	37 (52.9)	28 (51.9)	9 (56.3)	0.8
Extra-articular manifestations	14 (22.9)	12 (22.2)	2 (12.5)	0.4
DAS28	2.87 (0.2)	2.88 (0.2)	2.83 (0.23)	0.4
CRP, mg/l	8.7 (12.9)	7.9 (6.8)	11.4 (24.3)	0.3
ESR, mm/h	14.8 (10.2)	15.8 (10.1)	11.3 (9.7)	0.1
Treatment:
Current glucocorticoid use	16 (22.8)	15 (27.8)	1 (6.3)	0.07
Current conventional DMARD	70 (100)	54 (100)	16 (100)
MTX monotherapy	47 (67.1)	33 (61.1)	14 (87.4)	0.3
LEF monotherapy	11 (15.7)	10 (18.5)	1 (6.3)
HCQ monotherapy	5 (7.2)	4 (7.4)	0
SS monotherapy	1 (1.4)	1 (1.9)	0
CsA monotherapy	1 (1.4)	1 (1.9)	0
DMARDs combination	5 (7.2)	5 (9.2)	1 (6.3)

Data are presented as mean (SD) (range) or number (%).
Abbreviations: anti-CCP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; CVD, cardiovascular disease; CsA, cyclosporine A; DAS28, disease activity score in 28 joints; DMARD, disease modifying antirheumatic drug; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; LEF, leflunomide; MTX, methotrexate; RF-IgM, IgM rheumatoid factor; SS, sulfasalazine.