Table 2

Treatment used and changes in cardiovascular risk profiles in all patients, dieters versus nondieters, and users of methotrexate versus nonusers

All patients (n = 22)

Dieters (n = 15)

Nondieters (n = 7)

Methotrexate (n = 14)

No methotrexate (n = 8)

Treatment used

Pulsed methylprednisolone^† (mg)

200 (160 to 360)

200 (160 to 230)

200 (140 to 730)

200 (160 to 360)

200 (120 to 730)

Chloroquine (n [%])

15 (68)

12 (80)

3 (43)

10 (71)

5 (63)

Methotrexate (n [%])

14 (64)

10 (67)

4 (57)

14 (100)

0 (0)

Minocyclin (n [%])

9 (41)

7 (47)

2 (29)

7 (50)

2 (25)

Azathioprine (n [%])

2 (9)

0 (0)

2 (29)

0 (0)

2 (25)

Nonmethotrexate DMARD per patient (n)^†

1 (1 to 2)

1 (1 to 2)

1 (1 to 1)

2 (1 to 2)

1 (1 to 2)

Changes in cardiovascular risk

Weight^† (kg)

-4 (-6.5 to +0)

-4.6 (-8.6 to -4)

0 (0 to 0.8)

-3.4 (0 to 8.6)

-4 (-6.2 to 0)

C-reactive protein^† (mg/l)

-14 (-36 to -6)^*

-12 (-36 to -5)

-19 (-35 to -13)

-27 (-83 to -6)

-10 (-13 to -3)^***

Insulin^† (μU/ml)

-4.5 (-8.8 to -2.5)^*

-3.4 (-7.9 to -1.5)

-6.4 (-11.7 to -2.6)

-4.5 (-10.2 to -2.9)

-4.5 (-6.4 to -1.5)

Glucose^† (mmol/l)

-0.5 (-0.8 to -0.3)

-0.5 (-0.9 to -0.3)

-0.4 (-0.8 to -0.1)

-0.5 (-1.8 to -0.3)

-0.5 (-0.8 to +0.1)

HOMA^† (μU . mmol/ml . l)

-0.95 (-1.49 to -0.50)^*

-0.89 (-2.20 to -0.76)

-1.45 (-2.92 to +0.82)

-1.08 (-2.99 to -0.85)

-0.87 (-0.20 to -0.49)

QUICKI^†

0.023 (0.014 to 0.049)^*

0.021 (0.009 to 0.042)

0.035 (0.023 to 0.046)

0.026 (0.042 to 0.015)

0.022 (0.045 to 0.007)

Total cholesterol^† (mmol/l)

-0.05 (-0.9 to +0.5)

-0.6 (-1.2 to 0.0)

0.8 (0.2 to 0.9)^*

0.0 (-0.5 to +0.7)

-0.35 (-1.7 to +0.9)

LDL-cholesterol^† (mmol/l)

-0.15 (-0.6 to +0.3)

-0.3 (-0.8 to +0.2)

0.3 (0.0 to 0.9)^**

-0.15 (-0.4 to -0.2)

-0.05 (-1.5 to -0.8)

HDL-cholesterol^† (mmol/l)

0.15 (0 to 0.20)

0.20 (0.02 to 0.21)

0.10 (0.00 to 0.51)

0.20 (0.11 to 0.21)

0.06 (-0.11 to +0.50)

Triglycerides^†(mmol/l)

-0.35 (-1.1 to -0.1)

-0.51 (-0.4 to -0.2)

-0.21 (-0.4 to +0.2)

-0.47 (-1.0 to -0.1)

-0.22 (-0.3 to +0.1)

Time between assessments^† (months)

3 (2.5 to 3)

3 (2.5 to 3)

3 (2 to 3)

3 (2.5 to 3)

3 (2 to 3)

^†Results expressed as median (interquartile range). In the second column, the significance for changes in cardiovascular risk was analyzed. Nondieters were compared with dieters, and nonusers of methotrexate with users in the other columns. ^*P < 0.006, ^**P = 0.015, ^***P = 0.04. DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA, Homeostatis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; QUICKI, Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index.

Dessein et al. Arthritis Res 2002 4:R12   doi:10.1186/ar597