Table 1 Patient characteristics

Age at index date, years, mean (SD)

62.1 (12.9)

62.4 (13.9)

0.87

Female, n (%, 95 CI)

78 (78, 68.7–85.1)

156 (78, 71.7–83.2)

1

Follow up, years, median (IQR)

9.5 (5.9–13.4)

7.4 (IQR 2.4–12.3)

< 0.001

Seropositive Rheumatoid Factor and/or ACPA, n (%, 95 CI)

97,7 (97,7, 92.0–99.5)

Use DMARDs, n (%, 95 CI)

94 (94, 87.1–97.3)

Use biologic DMARDs, n (%, 95 CI)

20 (20, 13.2–29.1)

BMI < 20, n (%, 95 CI)

5 (5.3, 2.2–12.1)

1 (0.6, 0.1–4.3)

0.02

Ever Smoker, n (%, 95 CI)

33 (33, 24.4–42.9)

31 (15.6, 11.1–21.3)

0.001

Menopause age, years, median (IQR)

47.8 (40.7–51)

48.4 (44.6–51.4)

0.27

Age at first Bone Mineral Densitometry, years, median (IQR)

62.7 (54.4–74.8)

67.0 (58.9–75.5)

0.09

Osteopenia at first densitometry, n (%, 95 CI)

21 (28.4, 19.2–39.8)

31 (35.6, 26.2–46.3)

0.33

Osteoporosis at first densitometry, n (%, 95 CI)

23 (31.3, 21.5–42.6)

22 (25, 16.9–35.2)

0.39

Osteoporosis at any densitometry, n (%, 95 CI)

27 (36.5, 26.2–48.1)

24 (27.3, 18.9–37.6)

0.21

Anti-resorptives use ever, n (% 95 CI)

24 (24.0%, 16.6–33.4)

30 (15.0%, 10.7–20.7)

0.06

Corticosteroid use ever, n (%, 95 CI)

69 (69.0, 59.2–77.3)

5 (2.5, 1.0–5.9)

< 0.001

Prednisone use > = 20 mg/day ever, n (%, 95 CI)

5 (5.0, 2.1–11.5)

1 (0.5, 0.1–3.5)

0.01

Corticosteroid use > = 3 months, n (%, 95 CI)

63 (63.0, 53.1–71.9)

4 (2.0, 0.7–5.2)

< 0.001