Table 2 Characteristics of 1080 incident rheumatoid arthritis cases at presentation based on diagnosis before or after 55 years of age
RA diagnosed ≤ 55 years (n = 491) | RA diagnosed > 55 years (n = 589) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Median time from first symptoms to diagnosis, months (IQR) | 7 (3, 13) | 6 (2, 13) | 0.17 |
Number of 1987 ACR criteria, % | 0.016 | ||
4 | 45.2 | 53.5 | |
5 | 43.0 | 34.8 | |
6–7 | 11.8 | 11.7 | |
Seropositivea, % | 66.0 | 59.1 | 0.020 |
Radiographic changes, % | 24.6 | 28.7 | 0.13 |
Hand arthritis, % | 98.8 | 98.0 | 0.30 |
Symmetric arthritis, % | 96.7 | 96.9 | 0.85 |
≥3 joint areas affected, % | 95.8 | 93.5 | 0.090 |
> 1 h of morning stiffness, % | 75.8 | 73.9 | 0.47 |
Rheumatoid nodules, % | 10.0 | 8.8 | 0.52 |