Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Marine and Botanical Oils: An 18-Month, Randomized, and Double-Blind Trial

Table 1

Baseline characteristics in the three randomized groups.

Mean (SD) or median [IQR] (𝑛 = total) or percent (𝑐 = num) (𝑛 = total)	Borage group (𝑛=52)	Combination group (𝑛=45)	Fish group (𝑛=53)	𝑃 value
Body mass index (kg/m^2)	29.4 (7.1); (𝑛=49)	30.4 (8.2); (𝑛=45)	31.4 (9.5); (𝑛=51)	0.499
Female	76.9 (𝑐=40)	80.0 (𝑐=36)	86.8 (𝑐=46)	0.415
Age	60.3 (9.2)	60.5 (13.0)	57.3 (12.3)	0.295
Black/African-American	7.8 (𝑐=4); (𝑛=51)	2.2 (𝑐=1); (𝑛=45)	7.8 (𝑐=4); (𝑛=51)	0.428**
Does subject exercise? (yes)	57.7 (𝑐=30)	51.1 (𝑐=23)	50.9 (𝑐=27)	0.738
Rheumatoid factor positive	73.9 (𝑐=34); (𝑛=46)	83.9 (𝑐=26); (𝑛=31)	72.7 (𝑐=32); (𝑛=44)	0.491
Log ESR value	2.9 (1.1); (𝑛=52)	2.7 (1.0); (𝑛=43)	3.05 (1.0); (𝑛=51)	0.199
CRP value	0.6 [0.3–1.5]; (𝑛=48)	0.6 [0.4–2.7]; (𝑛=40)	0.8 [0.4–1.7]; (𝑛=46)	0.415*
Disability index (mHAQ)	0.5 [0.1–0.7]; (𝑛=51)	0.5 [0.1–0.9]; (𝑛=45)	0.5 [0.1–0.9]; (𝑛=53)	0.788*
Clinical Disease Activity Index	34.4 (11.5)	36.0 (12.6)	35.8 (11.3)	0.763
Simplified Disease Activity Index	33.1 (27.0–47.1); (𝑛=48)	34.1 (28.8–50.2); (𝑛=40)	35.5 (30.8–46.2); (𝑛=46)	0.442
Disease activity score	5.0 [4.1–5.8]; (𝑛=52)	4.8 [3.9–5.7]; (𝑛=43)	5.2 [4.4–6.0]; (𝑛=51)	0.404*
DAS remission (<2.6)	3.8 (𝑐=2); (𝑛=52)	4.6 (𝑐=2); (𝑛=43)	2.0 (𝑐=1); (𝑛=51)	0.859**
Total number of tender joints	12.5; [7.5–18.0]	11.0; [7.0–18.0]	12.0; [8.0–20.0]	0.936*
Total number of swollen joints	12.0; [8.0–15.0]	12.0; [8.0–19.0]	12.0; [8.0–18.0]	0.733*
Physician global	3.8; [3.0–5.8]	4.0; [3.0–6.3]	4.1; [3.0–7.0]	0.646*
Patient global	5.0; [3.0–6.7]	5.5; [4.0–7.0]	5.0; [2.8–6.5]	0.435*
Patients taking methotrexate	61.5; (𝑐=32)	68.9; (𝑐=31)	64.1; (𝑐=34)	0.748
Patients taking NSAIDS	28.8 (𝑐=15)	31.1 (𝑐=14)	26.4 (𝑐=14)	0.876
Patients taking corticosteroid	21.1; (𝑐=11)	24.4; (𝑐=11)	28.3; (𝑐=15)	0.696
Patients taking DMARDS	71.1; (𝑐=37)	77.8; (𝑐=35)	69.8; (𝑐=37)	0.647
Patients taking TNF blockers	50.0; (𝑐=26)	44.4; (𝑐=20)	50.9; (𝑐=27)	0.791
Morning stiffness (minutes)	60.0 [30.0–180.0]; (𝑛=51)	60.0 [35.0–120.0]; (𝑛=45)	60.0 [42.5–120.0]; (𝑛=52)	0.439*
Duration of rheumatoid arthritis (years)	7.4 [3.0–15.3]; (𝑛=52)	12.2 [4.4–18.0]; (𝑛=44)	6.3 [4.2–18.9]; (𝑛=51)	0.349*

^∗𝑃 value is from a Kruskal-Wallis test, median with the 25th and the 75th percentile is shown.
^∗∗𝑃 value is from a Fisher’s exact test. All other 𝑃 values come from a 𝑡-test or chi-square.