Clinical and demographic characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients included in the study, stratified by gender or by Cardiovascular events.

<p>Except where indicated otherwise, values are n (%). IQR: Interquartile Range. Anti-CCP: anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide antibodies.</p>*<p>A patient was considered to have a cerebrovascular accident when he/she had a stroke and/or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Strokes were classified according to their clinical features and they were confirmed by computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. TIAs were diagnosed if the symptoms were self-limited in less than 24 hours, without residual neurological damage <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0049214#pone.0049214-GonzlezGay2" target="_blank">[41]</a>.</p>**<p>Smoking habit encompassed to those patients who smoked at the time of disease diagnosis, during the follow-up or who had smoked within the 10 years before the onset of RA symptoms or the disease diagnosis.