Relative risk of failure to reach DAS28 remission at 3-month and 6-month follow-up in patients with early RA starting MTX in DMARD monotherapy, by comorbidity categories
| n (%) with data on DAS28 remission | Crude,* n of observations 3m=7643 6m=5391 RR (95% CI) | Adjusted for sex and age,* n of observations 3m=7643 6m=5391 RR (95% CI) | Full model,* n of observations 3m=5417 6m=3933 RR (95% CI) | Each comorbidity analysed separately,† adjusted for sex and age, n of observations 3m=7643 6m=5391 RR (95% CI) | |
| Cardiovascular, 3m | 636 (67.5) | 0.96 (0.88 to 1.05) | 1.02 (0.93 to 1.12) | 0.99 (0.88 to 1.11) | 1.09 (1.00 to 1.19) |
| Cardiovascular, 6m | 394 (41.8) | 0.98 (0.86 to 1.11) | 1.08 (0.95 to 1.23) | 1.05 (0.90 to 1.22) | 1.15 (1.02 to 1.30) |
| Non-cardiac vascular, 3m | 2128 (67.3) | 0.97 (0.92 to 1.03) | 1.01 (0.95 to 1.07) | 1.01 (0.94 to 1.08) | 1.07 (1.01 to 1.13) |
| Non-cardiac vascular, 6m | 1422 (45.0) | 0.96 (0.89 to 1.04) | 1.02 (0.94 to 1.11) | 1.04 (0.94 to 1.14) | 1.09 (1.01 to 1.17) |
| Malignant, 3m | 319 (68.3) | 0.89 (0.80 to 0.99) | 0.90 (0.81 to 1.00) | 0.89 (0.78 to 1.02) | 0.92 (0.83 to 1.03) |
| Malignant, 6m | 208 (44.5) | 0.87 (0.75 to 1.01) | 0.90 (0.78 to 1.04) | 1.04 (0.86 to 1.26) | 0.92 (0.80 to 1.06) |
| Endocrine, 3m | 1502 (67.2) | 1.10 (1.03 to 1.18) | 1.08 (1.01 to 1.15) | 1.06 (0.98 to 1.15) | 1.11 (1.04 to 1.18) |
| Endocrine, 6m | 1079 (48.3) | 1.11 (1.02 to 1.21) | 1.10 (1.01 to 1.20) | 1.10 (0.99 to 1.21) | 1.13 (1.04 to 1.23) |
| Gastrointestinal, 3m | 461 (67.7) | 1.15 (1.03 to 1.29) | 1.16 (1.03 to 1.30) | 1.10 (0.97 to 1.26) | 1.21 (1.08 to 1.36) |
| Gastrointestinal, 6m | 334 (49.0) | 1.08 (0.94 to 1.24) | 1.09 (0.95 to 1.26) | 1.03 (0.88 to 1.21) | 1.14 (0.99 to 1.31) |
| Infectious, 3m | 387 (63.2) | 1.20 (1.05 to 1.37) | 1.21 (1.06 to 1.38) | 1.28 (1.08 to 1.51) | 1.29 (1.13 to 1.47) |
| Infectious, 6m | 267 (43.6) | 1.06 (0.90 to 1.24) | 1.10 (0.94 to 1.28) | 1.09 (0.91 to 1.32) | 1.18 (1.01 to 1.37) |
| Chronic kidney, 3m | 38 (62.3) | 1.33 (0.86 to 2.05) | 1.38 (0.89 to 2.16) | 1.26 (0.77 to 2.07) | 1.50 (0.95 to 2.35) |
| Chronic kidney, 6m | 20 (32.8) | 1.04 (0.60 to 1.82) | 1.06 (0.60 to 1.86) | 1.26 (0.60 to 2.66) | 1.13 (0.65 to 1.98) |
| Neurological, 3m | 529 (68.7) | 1.12 (1.01 to 1.25) | 1.11 (1.00 to 1.23) | 1.12 (0.99 to 1.26) | 1.14 (1.03 to 1.26) |
| Neurological, 6m | 392 (50.9) | 1.26 (1.09 to 1.46) | 1.25 (1.08 to 1.44) | 1.26 (1.06 to 1.48) | 1.28 (1.11 to 1.48) |
| Psychiatric, 3m | 1111 (66.9) | 1.28 (1.18 to 1.39) | 1.24 (1.15 to 1.35) | 1.25 (1.14 to 1.38) | 1.27 (1.17 to 1.38) |
| Psychiatric, 6m | 820 (49.4) | 1.33 (1.20 to 1.48) | 1.27 (1.15 to 1.41) | 1.29 (1.14 to 1.45) | 1.31 (1.18 to 1.45) |
| Respiratory, 3m | 353 (67.2) | 1.17 (1.03 to 1.34) | 1.16 (1.01 to 1.32) | 1.22 (1.03 to 1.44) | 1.22 (1.07 to 1.39) |
| Respiratory, 6m | 259 (49.3) | 1.20 (1.01 to 1.43) | 1.18 (1.00 to 1.40) | 1.18 (0.97 to 1.44) | 1.24 (1.05 to 1.47) |
DAS28 remission was calculated on both DAS28 and DAS28-CRP. Full model: adjusted for sex, age, serological status, glucocorticoid use at RA diagnosis, educational level and calendar period. Statistically significant findings in bold.
*All comorbidities were incorporated in the same modified Poisson regression model.
†Each comorbidity category analysed in a separate model, that is, not adjusted for the other comorbidity categories.
CRP, C reactive protein; DAS28, 28-joint Disease Activity Score; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; m, month; MTX, methotrexate; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RR, relative risk.