Table 2

Clinical and demographic characteristics of the population at baseline.

Variable

Non-MDA patients

Number = 172

MDA patients

Number = 98

P

Age (years)

52.66 ± 10.60

50.08 ± 8.81

0.042

Male gender

65 (37.8%)

59 (60.2%)

0.001

Clinical subset

Axial + Peripheral

63 (36.6%)

32(32.7%)

0.596

Peripheral

59 (34.3%)

36 (36.7%)

0.693

Axial

41 (23.8%)

23 (23.5%)

1.000

Mutilans

9(5.2%)

7(7.1%)

0.595

MetS

73(42.4%)

18(18.4%)

< 0.001

HS

62(36.0%)

14(14.3%)

< 0.001

CPs

48(27.9%)

10(10.2%)

0.001

Disease duration (months)

101.72 ± 74.01

126.93 ± 58.83

0.004

ESR (mm/h)

14.35 ± 11.06

20.16 ± 13.86

< 0.001

CRP (mg/L)

1.66 ± 1.83

3.20 ± 3.28

< 0.001

SJC

3.75 ± 4.30

3.80 ± 3.68

0.929

TJC

12.99 ± 5.62

10.06 ± 4.71

< 0.001

PASI

1.49 ± 0.68

1.45 ± 0.76

0.700

HAQ

2.39 ± 1.41

2.61 ± 1.52

0.230

VAS

77.50 ± 17.30

75.30 ± 24.33

0.390

Patient global VAS

74.24 ± 21.08

74.28 ± 24.62

0.988

Tender entheseal count

11.71 ± 5.45

9.66 ± 5.06

0.003

Hypercholesterolemia

103(59.9%)

36(36.7%)

< 0.001

Hypertriglyceridemia

60(34.9%)

32(32.7%)

0.790

Impaired fasting glucose

11(6.4%)

9(9.2%)

0.470

Hypertension

39(22.7%)

18(18.4%)

0.441

Smoking habit

36(20.9)

29(29.6)

0.138

Obesity

88(51.2%)

23(23.5%)

< 0.001

Stratification according to the achieving of MDA at 12-month follow-up. CPs, presence of carotid plaques (carotid intima-media thickness > 1.3 mm); CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; HS, hepatic steatosis; MetS, metabolic syndrome; PASI, Psoriasis Area Severity Index; SJC, swollen joint count; TJC, tender joint count; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale for pain.

Di Minno et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012 14:R211   doi:10.1186/ar4049