Baseline characteristics by exposure group
| Characteristics | Anti-TNF (n=40 717) | MTX (n=46 681) | Other DMARD (n=26 279) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Mean age (SD), years | 51.0±10.4 | 52.8±9.8* | 51.7±10.3* |
| Female, n (%) | 30 414 (74.7) | 36 173 (77.5)* | 20 237 (77.0)* |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||
| Dyslipidaemia | 12 753 (31.3) | 14 988 (32.1)* | 8703 (33.1)* |
| Hypertension | 13 907 (34.2) | 16 482 (35.3)* | 9430 (35.9)* |
| Diabetes | 5190 (12.7) | 6007 (12.9) | 3195 (12.2)* |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 4492 (11.0) | 4830 (10.3)* | 3050 (11.6)* |
| Deficiency anaemia | 6252 (15.4) | 6310 (13.5)* | 4090 (15.6) |
| Electrolyte disorder | 2684 (6.6) | 2694 (5.8)* | 1891 (7.2)* |
| Alcohol-related or drug-related disorder | 1775 (4.4) | 1912 (4.1) | 1163 (4.4) |
| Obesity | 1590 (3.9) | 1739 (3.7) | 1051 (4.0) |
| Baseline medical service use, mean±SD | |||
| Rheumatologist visit | 2.8±3.7 | 2.3±3.5* | 1.9±3.1* |
| Cardiologist visit | 0.3±1.4 | 0.3±1.3* | 0.4±1.5* |
| Prior cardiovascular diagnoses, n (%) | |||
| Myocardial infarction | 528 (1.3) | 562 (1.2) | 326 (1.2) |
| Stroke/transient ischaemic attack | 1812 (4.5) | 2134 (4.6) | 1369 (5.2)* |
| Unstable angina | 645 (1.6) | 664 (1.4)* | 425 (1.6) |
| Congestive heart failure | 1152 (2.8) | 1439 (3.1)* | 959 (3.6)* |
| RA-related medications, n (%) | |||
| Methotrexate | 23 725 (58.3) | 24 347 (52.2)* | 1736 (6.6)* |
| Corticosteroids | 27 509 (67.6) | 30 135 (64.6)* | 15 325 (58.3)* |
| Cardiovascular-related medications, n (%) | |||
| COX-2-selective NSAIDs | 9039 (22.2) | 9801 (21.0)* | 5351 (20.4)* |
| Other non-selective NSAIDs | 17 899 (44.0) | 22 477 (48.2)* | 12 143 (46.2)* |
| Narcotic analgesic | 22 161 (54.4) | 23 766 (50.9)* | 13 452 (51.2)* |
| Lipid-lowering medication | 7988 (19.6) | 9736 (20.9)* | 5494 (20.9)* |
| Antihypertensive medication | 9896 (24.3) | 11 892 (25.5)* | 6613 (25.2)* |
| Smoking deterrent | 533 (1.3) | 603 (1.3) | 299 (1.1) |
*p Value <0.05 for comparison to the anti-TNF group.
COX-2, cyclo-oxygenase-2; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; MTX, methotrexate; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.