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Table 1 Clinical characteristics of female patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving oral bisphosphonates

From: Compliance and persistence with oral bisphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis

 

Monthly BP

(n = 158)

Weekly BP

(n = 238)

p value

Total subjects

(n = 396)

Age, years, mean ± SD

66.5 ± 10.5

65.6 ± 11.9

0.416

65.9 ± 11.3

Disease duration, months, median (IQR)

42 (12.5–82)

35 (18–86)

0.7

39 (18–84)

Seropositive RA, n (%)

131 (82.9)

193 (81.1)

0.646

324 (81.8)

DAS28-ESR, mean ± SD

3.53 ± 1.67

3.84 ± 1.67

0.089

3.72 ± 1.68

Concurrent medications

 Methotrexate, n (%)

93 (58.9)

149 (62.6)

0.454

242 (61.1)

 Sulfasalazine, n (%)

18 (11.4)

37 (15.5)

0.242

55 (13.9)

 Hydroxychloroquine, n (%)

86 (54.4)

121 (50.8)

0.484

207 (52.3)

 Leflunomide, n (%)

29 (18.4)

49 (20.6)

0.584

79 (19.7)

 Glucocorticoid, n (%)

138 (87.9)

206 (86.6)

0.697

344 (86.9)

 Glucocorticoid dose, mg, median (IQR)

7.5 (5–10)

7.5 (5–10)

0.631

7.5 (5–10)

 Calcium/vitamin D, n (%)

32 (20.3)

42 (17.6)

0.514

74 (18.7)

Previous history of fracture, n (%)

11 (7)

18 (7.6)

0.822

29 (7.3)

Baseline DEXA, n (%)

152 (96.2)

203 (85.3)

<0.001

355 (89.6)

BMD (T score)

 Spine, mean ± SD

−1.8 ± 1.4

−1.7 ± 1.4

0.629

−1.7 ± 1.4

 Femoral neck, mean ± SD

−1.5 ± 1.1

−1.4 ± 1.1

0.273

−1.5 ± 1.1

 Total hip, mean ± SD

− 1.3 ± 1.1

− 1.3 ± 1.1

0.595

−1.3 ± 1.1

Reimbursement for BPs

108 (68.4%)

146 (61.3%)

0.154

254 (64.1%)

BMI, mean ± SD

22.4 ± 2.8

22.2 ± 3.2

0.435

22.3 ± 3

Comorbidity

 Type 2 DM, n (%)

19 (12)

16 (6.7)

0.069

35 (8.8)

 HTN, n (%)

42 (26.6)

56 (23.5)

0.342

98 (24.7)

  1. RA rheumatoid arthritis, DEXA dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, BMD bone mineral density, BPs bisphosphonates, BMI body mass index, DM diabetes mellitus, HTN hypertension