Baseline Comorbidities in a Population-Based Cohort of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Biological Therapy: Data from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database
Table 3
Frequency of self-reported current and past comorbidities among rheumatoid arthritis patients commencing bDMARD (n = 624)*#.
N (%)
High blood pressure
254 (40.7)
Osteoporosis*
49 (31.0)
High blood cholesterol or lipids*
41 (26.0)
Gastrointestinal disease
127 (20.4)
Eye disease*
32 (20.3)
Depression*
31 (19.6)
Neurological disease*
27 (17.1)
Anaemia or blood disease
78 (13.5)
Diabetes
64 (10.3)
Heart attack or angina*
16 (10.0)
Lung disease
55 (8.8)
Thyroid*
10 (6.3)
Other heart disease (eg valve problems)
38 (6.1)
Coronary artery bypass graft/angioplasty/stent*
8 (5.1)
Mental illness other than depression
18 (2.9)
Liver disease
17 (2.8)
Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)*
4 (2.5)
Kidney disease
13 (2.1)
Drug or alcohol abuse
6 (0.9)
Tuberculosis*
1 (0.6)
Verified malignancy
65 (10.4)
Number of participants reporting an infection within 6 months prior to commencing biological therapy*
113 (71.5)
for conditions indicated with an asterisk. #Listed in order of descending frequency.
