Low level of physical activity in women with rheumatoid arthritis is associated with cardiovascular risk factors but not with body fat mass - a cross sectional study

Table 1 Demographic and anthropometric characteristics for the RA women.

	RA women all N = 61	MET-hours 1^st quartile N = 14	MET-hours 4^th quartile N = 14	P-value
Age (years)	60.8 (57.3-64.4)	60.0 (57.0-65.0)*	66.0 (63.0-76.0)*	0.09
Ever smoker, N, (%)	39 (64)	11 (79)	7 (50)	0.29
RA duration*	6.0 (2.0-15.0)	4.5 (2.0-10.0)	5.5 (2.0-14.0)	0.68
DAS28	3.3 (3.0-3.6)	3.4 (2.8-4.1)	3.1 (2.3-3.9)	0.32
ESR (mm/h)*	16.0 (9.0-29.0)	18.0 (13.0-21.0)	10.0 (5.0-27.0)	0.23
HAQ *	0.5 (0.13-1.13)	0.82 (0.25-1.0)	0.63 (0.13-1.13)	0.64
Patients on glucocorticoids, N, (%)	17 (28)	4 (31)	3 (20)	0.26
Glucocorticoids, mg*	5.0 (2.50-5.0)	3.12 (1.78-4.37)	3.9 (2.5-5.0)	0.54
Patients on anti-TNF, N, (%)	15 (25)	3 (23)	4 (27)	0.60
BMI (kg/m²)*	24.2 (21.6-26.6)	25.9 (23.6-29.5)	22.8 (20.4-26.5)	0.20
Waist (cm)*	83.0 (75.0-91.5)	87.2 (80.0-99.5)	79.0 (72.0-90.0)	0.11
Fat mass (%)	37.8 (35.7-39.9)	41.0 (36.1-45.9)	35.1 (31.1-39.0)	0.30
FMI (kg/m²)*	8.8 (6.4-11.4)	11.5 (8.4-14.7)	6.6 (6.3-11.1)	0.14
FFMI (kg/m²)*	15.3 (14.6-16.2)	17.5(14.7-17.1)	15.3 (14.7-16.7)	0.52
MET-hours*	40.0 (37.4-44.7)	35.9 (35.4-37.1)	45.8 (45.2-49.2)	< 0.001

The RA women are separated into the first and fourth quartiles of total physical activity, assessed as MET (= metabolic equivalents) hours.
Data is presented as mean (CI) for normally distributed variables and as median (inter-quartile range) for non-parametric variables, * = median, N = numbers, % = percentage. DAS28 = Disease Activity Score including 28 joints, ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate, HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire, anti-TNF = Anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy, BMI = body mass index, FMI = fat mass index, FFMI= fat free mass index.

ISSN: 1471-2474