Symmetric Dimethylarginine Is Not Associated with Cumulative Inflammatory Load or Classical Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A 6-Year Follow-Up Study
Table 1
Patient characteristics at baseline and at follow-up (Sandoo A, Dimitroulas T, Hodson J, Smith JP, Douglas KM, Kitas GD. Cumulative inflammation associates with asymmetric dimethylarginine in rheumatoid arthritis: a 6 year follow-up study. Rheumatology. 2014 Sep 3. [Ahead of print]. Reproduced with permission from Oxford University Press).
Baseline (2006)
Follow-up (2012)
General characteristics
Age (years)
61 (53–67)
67 (59–73)
Sex female (%)
155 (77%)
155 (77%)
Body mass index (kg/M2)
27 (24–30)
28 (24–32)
Disease characteristics
Disease duration (years)
10 (4–18)
16 (11–25)
Rheumatoid factor positive (%)
148 (74%)
148 (74%)
Anti-CCP positive (%)
123 (61%)
123 (61%)
DAS28
4.0 (3.1–4.8)
3.1 (2.5–4.0)
HAQ
1.3 ± 0.9
1.6 ± 0.9
C-reactive protein (mg/L)
7.5 (4.3–16)
3 (2.9–8.5)
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/hr)
17 (8–30)
12 (5–23)
SDMA (μmol/L)
—
0.47 (0.40–0.53)
Cardiovascular disease risk factors
Hypertension (%)
132 (66%)
130 (65%)
Dyslipidemia (%)
115 (57%)
158 (79%)
Insulin resistance (%)
65 (32%)
53 (26%)
Diabetes (%)
7 (4%)
21 (10%)
Global CVD risk scores
Framingham Risk Score (%)
4 (1–8)
8 (5–13)
Reynolds Risk Score (%)
6 (3–13)
8 (3–14)
RA Medications
Methotrexate (%)
128 (64%)
122 (61%)
Prednisolone (%)
58 (29%)
51 (25%)
NSAID’s (%)
47 (23%)
26 (13%)
Cyclooxygenase II inhibitors (%)
14 (7%)
5 (3%)
Anti-TNFα therapy (%)
20 (10%)
57 (28%)
Tocilizumab (%)
—
3 (2%)
Cardiovascular medications
Antihypertensive (%)
81 (40%)
79 (39%)
Antihypercholesterolemic (%)
33 (16%)
74 (37%)
Beta-blocker (%)
32 (16%)
22 (11%)
Calcium channel blocker (%)
26 (13%)
27 (13%)
Results are expressed as median (25th to 75th percentile values), mean ± standard deviation or number (percentage). DAS28 = disease activity score in 28 joints. Anti-TNFα = antitumour necrosis factor alpha; CCP = citrullinated protein antibody; HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; NSAID’s = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SDMA: symmetric dimethylarginine.