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Table 1 Demographic and disease characteristics in Norwegian RA patients currently using b/tsDMARDs during 2010–2019

From: Exploring drug cost and disease outcome in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs in Norway in 2010–2019 – a country with a national tender system for prescription of costly drugs

Ten year period

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Mean

Missing Data Mean, Range

P-value

The annual number of patients

 BioRheuma patients, N

4909

7256

7993

7278

8023

9057

9176

9225

9102

9335

   

 b/tsDMARDs users, N (%)

1936 (39)

2855 (39)

3136 (39)

3060 (42)

3419 (43)

3688 (41)

3770 (41)

3869 (42)

3869 (43)

4154 (45)

41%

  

Demographics

 Age (years)

60 (13)

60 (14)

59 (14)

59 (14)

59 (14)

59 (14)

59 (14)

59 (14)

60 (14)

60 (14)

59.3

1.1%, 0–11%

0.044

 Female

74%

73%

72%

72%

73%

73%

73%

73%

73%

72%

73%

1.1%, 0–11%

0.938

 BMI (kg/m2)

26 (4.9)

26 (4.6)

26 (4.6)

26 (4.6)

26 (4.6)

26 (4.7)

26 (4.8)

26 (4.8)

26 (4.6)

26 (4.9)

26

9.9%, 2–57%

< 0.001

 Education (years)

13 (3.6)

12 (3.8)

12 (3.7)

12 (3.7)

12 (3.7)

12 (3.7)

12 (3.7)

13 (3.7)

13 (3.7)

13 (3.7)

12

9.3%, 1–55%

< 0.001

 Current Smokers

23%

22%

20%

19%

18%

17%

16%

15%

14%

14%

18%

8.2%, 1–50%

< 0.001

 Disease Duration (years)

13 (10)

13 (11)

14 (11)

14 (11)

14 (11)

14 (11)

15 (11)

14 (11)

15 (11)

15 (11)

14

0.0%, 0–0%

< 0.001

 Enabled Workers

63%

59%

59%

60%

57%

58%

59%

59%

59%

59%

59%

7.4%, 1–45%

0.393

Biomarkers

 CCP Positive

82%

82%

81%

81%

80%

80%

81%

81%

81%

81%

81%

27%, 14–42%

0.900

 RF Positive

75%

75%

74%

73%

73%

73%

72%

73%

73%

72%

73%

45%, 29–61%

0.798

Disease Activity

 ESR (mm/h)

19 (16) [14 (17)]

18 (16) [13 (16)]

16 (15) [12 (15)]

16 (14) [12 (14)]

15 (15) [11 (14)]

15 (15) [11 (14)]

14 (14) [10 (13)]

14 (14) [9 (13)]

14 (15) [9 (13)]

14 (15) [9 (12)]

16

26%, 20–32%

< 0.001

 CRP (mg/L)

8.4 (17) [4 (7)]

7.8 (14) [4 (7)]

6.6 (12) [3 (5)]

6.2 (10) [3 (5)]

6.2 (11) [3 (5)]

6.4 (13) [3 (6)]

6.4 (17) [3 (4)]

5.7 (11) [2 (4)]

5.9 (11) [2 (4)]

6.0 (11) [2 (4)]

6.6

19%, 15–27%

< 0.001

 TJC28 (0–28)

3.4 (4.7) [2 (5)]

3.1 (4.5) [1 (4)]

2.7 (4.4) [1 (3)]

2.5 (4.1) [1 (3)]

2.4 (3.9) [1 (3)]

2.1 (3.7) [1 (3)]

2.1 (3.7) [1 (2)]

1.9 (3.7) [0 (2)]

1.9 (3.6) [0 (2)]

1.7 (3.4) [0 (2)]

2.4

15%, 9–19%

< 0.001

 SJC28 (0–28)

2.3 (3.4) [1 (3)]

2.0 (3.1) [1 (3)]

1.9 (3.1) [1 (2)]

1.5 (2.6) [0 (2)]

1.2 (2.3) [0 (2)]

1.1 (2.2) [0 (1)]

1.1 (2.1) [0 (1)]

1.1 (2.2) [0 (1)]

0.9 (2.0) [0 (1)]

0.8 (2.0) [0 (1)]

1.4

15%, 9–19%

< 0.001

 IGA (VAS, 0–100 mm)

18 (16)

18 (16)

17 (16)

16 (15)

16 (15)

15 (15)

14 (15)

14 (15)

13 (15)

12 (14)

15.2

40%, 35–50%

< 0.001

 DAS28(4)-CRP

3.1 (1.2)

3.0 (1.2)

2.8 (1.2)

2.7 (1.1)

2.6 (1.1)

2.6 (1.1)

2.6 (1.1)

2.5 (1.1)

2.5 (1.1)

2.4 (1.1)

2.7

30%, 26–34%

< 0.001

 DAS28 Remission

42%

46%

51%

56%

57%

59%

60%

63%

64%

67%

56%

30%, 26–34%

< 0.001

 DAS28 LDA

18%

17%

17%

17%

16%

16%

16%

15%

16%

14%

16%

30%, 26–34%

0.034

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

 PGA (VAS, 0–100 mm)

33 (24)

33 (25)

33 (25)

32 (25)

32 (25)

33 (25)

33 (25)

32 (26)

32 (26)

32 (26)

33

10%, 8–11%

0.270

 Pain (VAS, 0–100 mm)

32 (25)

34 (25)

33 (24)

32 (25)

32 (25)

33 (25)

32 (25)

32 (26)

32 (25)

32 (26)

33

20%, 14–53%

0.204

 MHAQ (0–3)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5 (0.5)

0.5

15%, 10–37%

0.001

 Fatigue (VAS, 0–100 mm)

38 (29)

37 (29)

38 (29)

37 (29)

38 (30)

39 (30)

39 (30)

39 (30)

40 (310)

40 (31)

39

37%, 15–54%

0.006

 Morning Stiffness (hr)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9 (1.3)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9 (1.2)

0.8 (1.2)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9 (1.3)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9 (1.2)

0.9

42%, 16–59%

0.614

  1. Note: Categorical variables are presented as percentages and continuous variables as mean with standard deviation (SD). Variables ESR, CRP, TJC28, and SJC28 also show median with interquartile range [Median (Interquartile Range)] below their Mean (SD). Missing data are presented as mean with range. χ2 test for categorical variables and one-way ANOVA for continuous variables was used to test for differences during follow-up of ten years
  2. Occupation Status: Enabled Workers (< 65 years old) = Full Job, Part-time Job, Student, Maternity Leave, Paternity leave, Sick Leave, Unemployed, Early Retirement, Part-time job/Sick Leave, Part-time job/Unemployed), Disabled Workers (< 65 years) = Part-time Job/Disabled Early Retirement, Early Retirement due to Disability, Early Retirement due to RA, Medical Rehabilitation, Occupational Rehabilitation
  3. Abbreviations: RA Rheumatoid Arthritis, b/tsDMARDs biologic and target synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs, BMI Body Mass Index, CCP Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, RF Rheumatoid Factor, ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, CRP C-Reactive Protein, TJC28 Tender 28-Joint Count, SJC28 Swollen 28-Joint Count, IGA Investigators Global Assessment, VAS Visual Analog Scale (Measured 0–100), DAS28 Disease Activity Score, LDA Low Disease Activity, PGA Patient Global assessment, MHAQ Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire