Table 3 Comorbidity and health care consumption 2006–2010, divided by sex and bDMARDs

Age, years

58.7 ± 12.4

65.6 ± 15.6

<0.001

59.7 ± 12.0

67.6 ± 13.5

<0.001

Diabetes mellitus

62 (7.0)

478 (10.5)

0.002

31 (12.1)

237 (14.6)

0.284

Hypertension

268 (30.5)

1932 (42.4)

<0.001

91 (35.4)

730 (44.9)

0.004

Ischemic heart disease

48 (5.5)

591 (13.0)

<0.001

44 (17.1)

356 (21.9)

0.082

Heart failure

21 (2.4)

416 (9.1)

<0.001

12 (4.7)

240 (14.8)

<0.001

Valvular disease

15 (1.7)

151 (3.3)

0.011

8 (3.1)

67 (4.1)

0.443

Atrial fibrillation or flutter

34 (3.9)

396 (8.7)

<0.001

16 (6.2)

249 (15.3)

<0.001

Cerebrovascular disease

30 (3.4)

392 (8.6)

<0.001

15 (5.8)

182 (11.2)

0.009

Venous thromboembolic disease

41 (4.7)

260 (5.7)

0.215

6 (2.3)

103 (6.3)

0.011

Chronic respiratory disease

91 (10.3)

702 (15.4)

<0.001

39 (15.2)

282 (17.3)

0.390

Chronic renal insufficiency

6 (0.7)

90 (2.0)

0.008

2 (0.8)

53 (3.3)

0.028

Depression

87 (9.9)

614 (13.5)

0.004

17 (6.6)

124 (7.6)

0.567

Malignancy

61 (6.9)

597 (13.1)

<0.001

26 (10.1)

324 (19.9)

<0.001

Infections

663 (75.3)

3153 (69.2)

<0.001

172 (66.9)

1060 (65.2)

0.587

 Pneumonia

 Sepsis

107 (12.2)

15 (1.7)

676 (14.8)

114 (2.5)

0.039

0.155

38 (14.8)

5 (1.9)

278 (17.1)

73 (4.5)

0.357

0.057

Fractures (sites related to osteoporosis)

59 (6.7)

402 (8.8)

0.039

6 (2.3)

74 (4.6)

0.102

 Hip

 Knee

33 (3.8)

29 (3.3)

186 (4.1)

165 (3.6)

0.649

0.635

10 (3.9)

9 (3.5)

67 (4.1)

48 (3.0)

0.863

0.633

Patients hospitalized^a, n (%)

449 (51.0)

2369 (52.0)

0.609

122 (47.5)

832 (51.2)

0.271

 Number of inpatient admissions^a

 Cumulative days at hospital^a

2 (1, 3)

6 (3, 13)

2 (1, 3)

9 (3, 26)

0.752

<0.001

2 (1, 3)

7 (3, 15)

2 (1, 3)

10 (4, 26)

0.784

0.013

Outpatient visits, secondary care

22 (15, 34)

11 (7, 18)

<0.001

20 (12, 32)

11 (7, 18)

<0.001

Outpatient visits, primary care

7 (3, 11)

9 (5, 15)

<0.001

6 (3, 11)

8 (4, 13)

<0.001