Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to age and treatment group

Age (years)

51.9 ± 11.2

75.0 ± 5.8^‡

52.1 ± 9.3

74.1 ± 6.2^$

64.9 ± 13.8

Female sex

42 (80.7)

59 (80.8)

36 (87.8)

43 (86.0)

180 (83.3)

DAS28-ESR

4.5 ± 1.1

5.2 ± 1.2^‡

3.3 ± 1.0^*

3.7 ± 1.0^†

4.3 ± 1.3

SDAI

20.9 ± 9.7

25.1 ± 11.8

12.0 ± 6.0^*

13.7 ± 7.4^†

19.0 ± 10.8

CDAI

19.4 ± 8.6

22.7 ± 10.8

11.7 ± 5.9^*

13.1 ± 7.1^†

17.6 ± 9.8

HAQ score

0.6 ± 0.6

1.0 ± 0.8^‡

0.3 ± 0.4^*

0.6 ± 0.8^†

0.7 ± 0.8

RF-positive

44 (84.6)

63 (86.3)

31 (75.6)

36 (72.0)^†

174 (80.6)

ACPA-positive

47 (90.4)

62 (84.9)

32 (78.1)

37 (74.0)

178 (82.4)

Steroid use

19 (36.5)

39 (53.4)

10 (24.4)

18 (36.0)

86 (39.8)

Prednisolone daily dose (mg)

5.1 ± 3.5

6.2 ± 4.7

3.7 ± 1.6

3.9 ± 1.4^†

5.2 ± 3.8

MTX use

41 (78.8)

37 (50.7)

28 (68.3)

23 (46.0)

129 (59.7)

Additional treatment initiated during this study

Abatacept

52 (100)

73 (100)

MTX

-

-

10 (24.4)

10 (20.0)

-

Salazosulfapyridine

-

-

2 (4.9)

7 (14.0)

-

Bucillamine

-

-

11 (26.8)

12 (24.0)

-

Tacrolimus

-

-

2 (4.9)

5 (10.0)

-

Iguratimod

-

-

15 (36.6)

14 (28.0)

-

Leflunomide

-

-

1 (2.4)

2 (4.0)

-

Mean intima-media thickness of common carotid artery (mm)

 Left

0.689 ± 0.214

0.798 ± 0.181^‡

0.642 ± 0.118

0.803 ± 0.145^$

0.743 ± 0.183

 Right

0.656 ± 0.198

0.798 ± 0.252^‡

0.630 ± 0.098

0.786 ± 0.144^$

0.728 ± 0.205

Max intima-media thickness of common carotid artery, bulbus, bifurcation, and internal carotid artery (mm)

 Left

0.866 ± 0.293

0.974 ± 0.253^‡

0.802 ± 0.162

1.012 ± 0.246^$

0.923 ± 0.258

 Right

0.811 ± 0.274

1.001 ± 0.435^‡

0.791 ± 0.121

0.991 ± 0.239^$

0.912 ± 0.323

Plaque score

2.062 ± 1.961

4.488 ± 2.743^‡

1.803 ± 1.735

4.305 ± 2.471^$

3.346 ± 2.615

Pulse wave velocity (cm/s)

 Left

1269.4 ± 212.9

1777.6 ± 440.0^‡

1311.1 ± 190.9

1666.2 ± 381.4^$

1540.5 ± 406.4

 Right

1283.1 ± 233.4

1738.7 ± 403.5^‡

1325.0 ± 194.4

1660.0 ± 372.6^$

1531.0 ± 382.9