Table 1: Baseline characteristics of patients.

Characteristic All Patients (n=65)
Female (%) 80.3
Saudi (%) 73.4
Mean Age (years ± SD) 45.96 ± 14.42
Mean disease duration (months ± SD) 64 ± 61.71
Mean BMI (score ± SD) 28.98 ± 7.27
Overweight or obese (%) 37.3
Extra-articular RA manifestations (%) 9.2
Hypertension (%) 20.0
Osteoarthritis (%) 12.3
Diabetes (%) 10.8
Osteoporosis (%) 7.7
Mean HAQ-DI (score ± SD) 1.69 ± 0.57
Baseline therapies:  
Prednisone use (%) 70.1
MTX and steroids (%) 53.7
DMARDs other than MTX plus steroids (%) 16.4
MTX monotherapy (%) 16.4
DMARDs combination (not including MTX) (%) 13.5
Duration of non-biological therapy (years ± SD) 4.63 (5.42)

Legend: SD, standard deviation, BMI, body mass index; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; HAQ-DI, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index; MTX, methotrexate; DMARDS, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.