Table 1

Baseline patient characteristics

EffectivenessTolerability
Satisfied
n=5822 (54.7%)
Unsatisfied
n=4824 (45.3%)
Satisfied
n=7273 (68.3%)
Unsatisfied
n=3373 (31.7%)
Age, years58.3±12.656.7±12.757.7±12.857.3±12.4
Female sex4273 (73.4%)3639 (75.4%)5270 (72.5%)2642 (78.3%)
Disease duration, years9.1 (8.6)9 (8.7)9.3±8.78.5±8.5
Seropositivity (RF and/or ACPA positive)4244 (72.9%)3461 (71.6%)5338 (73.4%)2358 (69.9%)
Current smoker1600 (27.5%)1369 (28.4%)1957 (26.9%)839 (24.9%)
DAS28-ESR <3.2899 (15.4%)361 (7.5%)939 (12.9%)321 (9.5%)
3.2≤ DAS28-ESR <5.12961 (50.9%)2181 (45.4%)3595 (48.4%)1558 (46.2%)
DAS28-ESR ≥5.11962 (33.7%)2272 (47.1%)2739 (37.7%)1495 (44.3%)
Swollen joint count4.7±4.15.5±4.75.0±4.35.2±4.5
Tender joint count6.8±6.08.5±6.97.3±6.28.3±6.9
Patient global health assessment5.1±2.16.4±1.95.5±2.16.2±1.9
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm)27.5±20.529.2±21.728.4±21.128.0±20.8
Pain (0–10 scale)5.2±2.36.2±2.05.5±2.36.3±2.1
Percentage of full physical function70.7±22.361.8±22.668.5±22.762.7±22.8
Number of previous bDMARDs0.4±0.80.5±0.90.4±0.90.4±0.9
Number of previous csDMARDs1.9±1.02.2±1.12.0±1.11.2±1.1
Current TNFi therapy2320 (39.9%)2433 (50.5%)3119 (42.9%)1634 (48.5%)
Current other b/tsDMARD therapy1336 (22.9%)1256 (26.0%)1789 (24.6%)803 (23.8%)
Glucocorticoids (last 6 months)3071 (52.8%)2934 (60.8%)4031 (55.4%)1974 (58.5%)
Glucocorticoid dose, mg/day (last 6 months)6.7±3.37.4±3.76.8±3.37.5±3.8
  • Numbers are expressed as mean±SD or frequencies (n (%)). Frequencies may be rounded due to multiple imputation of missing values.

  • ACPA, autoimmune anticitrullinated protein antibodies; bDMARDs, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; csDMARS; conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; DAS28-ESR, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints-erythrocyte sedimentation rate; RF, rheumatoid factor; tsDMARD, targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; TNFi, tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor.