ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the characteristics of functional limitation and associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:Consecutive patients with RA were recruited from August 2015 to June 2019 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, gender, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, clinical disease activity index (CDAI), modified total Sharp score were collected. Physical function was assessed by the Stanford health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI).Ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of HAQ-DI.Results:A total of 643 RA patients were finally recruited including 114 males and 529 females with mean age (49.7±12.9) years. There were 399 (62.1%) patients having different degrees of functional limitation, who were classified as mild (293, 45.6%), moderate (73, 11.4%) and severe (33, 5.1%). The prevalence of functional limitation was positively correlated with age and disease activity. The most restricted activity was walking [43.5% (280/643)], followed by gripping [36.1% (232/643)], reaching [35.5% (228/643)], daily activities [33.4% (215/643)], hygiene [33.0% (212/643)], dressing and grooming [29.7% (191/643)] and arising [29.1% (187/643)], and the last eating [18.4% (118/643)]. Multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis showed that age ( OR=1.019, 95% CI 1.004-1.035),pain VAS ( OR=1.820, 95% CI 1.616-2.050), ESR ( OR=1.009, 95% CI 1.001-1.017), CDAI ( OR=1.080, 95% CI 1.059-1.102) and modified total Sharp score ( OR=1.010, 95% CI 1.004-1.015) were associated factors of functional limitation. Conclusion:The majority RA patients have functional limitation. Age, pain and active disease are independent associated factors. Therefore, target treatment and control of pain should be emphasized in RA patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Methods:Consecutive Chinese patients with RA were recruited from August 2015 to September 2019 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. Demo-graphic data and clinical data were collected including indicators of disease activity, functional assessment and radiographic assessment, comorbidities and previous medications. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of hypertension in RA patients.Results:There were 674 RA patients recruited with 82.3%(555/674) female and mean age (50±13) years. The prevalence rate of hypertension was 32.9% (222/674), followed by dyslipidemia (9.9%, n=67), type 2 diabetes (8.8%, n=59), hyperuricemia (8.5%, n=43), fatty liver disease (8.0%, n=54), cardiovascular disease (6.2%, n=42) and chronic kidney disease (3.3%, n=22). Compared with those without hypertension, RA patients with hypertension had advanced age with longstanding disease duration, higher disease activity indicators, worse joint destruction, and higher proportions of comorbidities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that comorbidities including hyperuricemia [ OR=1.977, 95% CI(1.002, 3.900)], dyslipidemia [ OR=1.903, 95% CI(1.102, 3.288)] and fatty liver disease [ OR=2.335, 95% CI(1.278, 4.265)] were risk factors of hypertension after adjustment for age and gender. Conclusion:Hyperten-sion is the most common comorbidity in RA patients which is associated with comor-bidities including hyperuricemia, dyslipidemia and fatty liver disease. Detection and management of hyperten-sion and other cardiovascular disease related comorbidities in RA patients should be emphasized.