Prevalence of radiologically defined osteoarthritis in the finger and wrist joints of adult residents of Tecumseh, Michigan, 1962-65.

Radiographs of the fingers and wrists of adult participants in the Tecumseh Community Health Study in 1962-65 were examined for signs of osteoarthritis (OA). The severity of OA for each of 32 joints of the fingers and wrists was recorded for each individual. Attention was restricted to the 3035 participants who were 32 years of age or older and for whom a diagnosis of OA was available for each of 32 joints. Joint-specific prevalence rates of OA increased sharply with age for both sexes, and at the older ages, the prevalence rates for most joints were higher for females. Older individuals with OA also had a greater number of affected joints, with females having a greater number of affected joints than males. Of those individuals aged 44 years or younger, only 6.2% had one or more joints affected with OA. The percentages were 21.6 and 42.0% for those aged 45-59 years and 60 or more years, respectively. The distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints were the most frequently affected joints in all age categories for both sexes and OA in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints was positively associated with OA in the DIP joints. However, controlling for the number of affected DIP joints, the PIP joints of older subjects were more likely to exhibit OA than the PIP joints of younger subjects. Though there is an association between OA in the DIP and PIP joints, there was only a small, nonsignificant association (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.83, 1.84) between disease in the DIP and PIP joints of the same finger.

One-year experience in patients treated with auranofin following completion of a parallel, controlled trial comparing auranofin, gold sodium thiomalate, and placebo.

Following a 21-week double-blind trial that compared the effects of treatment with auranofin (AUR), gold sodium thiomalate, and placebo in 193 patients, 147 patients entered a 1-year, open-label study of treatment with AUR (6 mg/day). Results of this open-label study suggest that AUR has a long-term use profile similar to that of other slow-acting antirheumatic drugs. AUR appears to be capable of sustaining an initial response to gold sodium thiomalate. The withdrawal rate remains relatively high: Nearly half of the study patients had discontinued AUR by the end of 1 year.

Relationship of oxygen uptake capacity, serum uric acid and glucose tolerance in males and females, age 10-69.

Age 10-69, 793 males and 80 females were tested on the treadmill as they walked at 4.83 km per hour (3.27 km per hour in subjects 60 years and older). Every three minutes, the grade was increased 3%. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max.) and related measurements were recorded during the third minute at each grade. Subjects age 10-39 exercised to exhaustion and VO2max. was measured. In subjects age 40-69, VO2max. was estimated from sub-maximal VO2 and heart rate. The sum of four skinfolds, serum uric acid (SUA) and one-hour glucose tolerance were also measured on these subjects. Body fatness was positively correlated with SUA and blood glucose and negatively correlated with VO2max. Age was negatively correlated with VO2max. and positively correlated with blood glucose. After removing the effects of age, weight and fatness, the correlation of VO2max. and SUA was low. Similarly, there was little or no correlation between VO2max. and blood glucose after the effects of age, weight and fatness were removed.

Educating patients with Osteoarthritis.

An education program was developed for geriatric patients with osteoarthritis utilizing adult learner methods. The format used was slide/tape with accompanying booklets. Sixty-seven patients were tested before, immediately after, and three weeks after viewing the programs. A change in knowledge was noted for all objectives and was statistically significant (P .05) in five of six objectives. Although initial production costs are substantial, duplication costs are minimal. These results suggest that geriatric patients with osteoarthritis are able to learn and the method used is a cost-effective one.