Biopsychosocial factors are associated with impaired sexual function in Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease with worldwide representation that impacts every domain of a patient´s life, extending to sexual and reproductive domains. The study characterized sexual health (SH) and reproductive health (RH) in Mexican RA outpatients and identified factors associated with impaired sexual function (ISF). METHODS: From September 1, 2020-January 31, 2022, consecutive RA participants had semi-structured interviews focusing on their SH and RH biographies, and self-administered questionnaires were applied to assess patient-reported outcomes, including fatigue with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale (FACIT-F). ISF was defined based on published cut-offs of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) in males and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in females (≥1 sexual intercourse in the last four weeks was required for index scoring). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with ISF. RESULTS: There were 268 participants, and 246 (91.8%) were females. Participants had 13 years of disease duration. Among females, 151 (61.4%) had FSFI applied, and the satisfaction domain was impaired in 111 (73.5%). Among males (N = 22), 17 (77.3%) had IIEF applied, and erectile dysfunction was present in 5 (29.4%). Almost half of the participants denied using a family planning method, were in their 50s, and receiving teratogenic drugs; 89.7% of the participants had children. ISF was detected in 94 (62.3%) females and 3 (17.6%) males. Male sex (aOR: 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01-0.36, p = 0.001), FACIT-F score (aOR: 0.96, 95%CI: 0.92-1.00, p = 0.03), and cohabitation with the couple (aOR: 0.32, 95%CI: 0.11-0.96, p = 0.04) were associated with ISF. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a disproportionate burden of ISF among women with RA compared to male participants. Male sex, lesser fatigue, and cohabitation with the couple were protective against ISF. Regardless of the prevalent use of teratogenic medications, contraceptive use was suboptimal among the participants.

Biological use influences the impact of inflammation on risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic inflammation promotes cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) improve disease activity and cardiovascular disease outcomes. We explored whether bDMARDs influence the impact of disease activity and inflammatory markers on long-term cardiovascular risk in RA. METHODS: We studied 4370 participants without cardiovascular disease in a 10-country observational cohort of patients with RA. Endpoints were (1) major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) encompassing myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death; and (2) any ischaemic cardiovascular events (iCVE) including MACE plus revascularisation, angina, transient ischaemic attack and peripheral arterial disease. RESULTS: Over 26 534 patient-years, 239 MACE and 362 iCVE occurred. The interaction between 28-joint Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) and bDMARD use was significant for MACE (p=0.017), suggesting the effect of DAS28-CRP on MACE risk differed among bDMARD users (n=515) and non-users (n=3855). DAS28-CRP (per unit increase) is associated with MACE risk in bDMARD non-users (HR 1.21 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.37)) but not users (HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.40 to 1.20)). The interaction between CRP (per log unit increase) and bDMARD use was also significant for MACE (p=0.011). CRP associated with MACE risk in bDMARD non-users (HR 1.16 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.30)), but not users (HR 0.65 (95% CI 0.36 to 1.17)). No interaction was observed between bDMARD use and DAS28-CRP (p=0.167) or CRP (p=0.237) for iCVE risk. CONCLUSIONS: RA activity and inflammatory markers associated with risk of MACE in bDMARD non-users but not users suggesting the possibility of biological-specific benefits locally on arterial wall independently of effects on systemic inflammation.

Patients Journey Before Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Contributes to disease's Activity Level: A Real-Life Study.

INTRODUCTION: The help-seeking process in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is challenging, and its study is limited in Latin America. The study describes the real-life journey before patients' incorporation into an early arthritis clinic (EAC) and its impact on baseline and 1-year cumulative disease activity levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patient's journey was assessed through a questionnaire that captured the patient's path from the first disease-related symptom to the initial assessment in the EAC. A disease activity (28 joints evaluated)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) score >5.1 defined a high-disease activity level. The mean of individual consecutive DAS28-ESR scores summarized cumulative DAS28-ESR. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with a DAS28-ESR score >5.1 at the first assessment. Linear regression analysis assessed the impact of general practitioner (GP)-first consultant and time on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on baseline and cumulative DAS28-ESR scores. RESULTS: Through January 2023, the EAC had 241 RA patients, among whom 209 (86.7%) completed the patients' journey questionnaire (PJQ) and 176 (84.2%) at least 1 year of follow-up. A GP was the first consultant in 76.6% of the patients, and only 12.4% were prescribed DMARDs. Patients had additional evaluations with either rheumatologists (38.6%) or other specialists (31.6%), and half of them were initiated DMARDs. GP-first consultant (adjusted odds ratio: 2.314, 95% confidence interval: 1.190-4.500, p = 0.013) and time on DMARDs (adjusted odds ratio: 0.738, 95% confidence interval: 0.585-0.929, p = 0.010) were associated with baseline DAS28-ESR score >5.1. The B coefficient magnitudes for GP-first consultant and time on DMARDs to predict cumulative DAS28 progressively decreased during the first year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' journey before recent-onset RA diagnosis predicts first-year disease activity levels.

Differences in referral path, clinical and radiographic outcomes between seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis Mexican Mestizo patients: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The study compared the referral path, the first two-year clinical outcomes, and the first five-year radiographic outcomes between seronegative patients (SNPs) from a recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis dynamic cohort initiated in 2004 and seropositive patients (SPPs). Predictors of incidental erosive disease were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Up to March 2023, one independent observer reviewed the charts from 188 patients with at least two years of clinical assessments and up to five years of annual radiographic assessments. SNPs were defined when baseline RF and ACPA serum titers were within local normal ranges. The erosive disease was defined on hand and/or foot radiographs when at least one unequivocal cortical bone defect was detected. The incidental erosive disease was defined in baseline erosive disease-free patients who developed erosions at follow-ups. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for factors to predict incidental erosive disease. RESULTS: There were 17 (9%) SNPs, and they had a shorter time from symptoms onset to first physician evaluation, visited a lower number of physicians, and received less intensive treatment at referral and during the first years of follow-up than SPPs. Also, they had fewer 0-66 swollen joints and were less frequently persistent on therapy. The erosive disease was detected only in SPPs, and its frequency increased from 10.1% at baseline to 36.1% at the five-year radiographic assessment. There were 53 (31.4%) patients with incidental erosive disease, and differences between SPPs and SNPs were statistically significant at the feet location. Incidental erosive disease was predicted by baseline ACPA, ESR, substantial morning stiffness, and cumulative CRP. CONCLUSIONS: SNPs showed mild differences in their referral path and clinical outcomes compared to SPPs. However, erosive disease was detected only in SPPs and was predicted by baseline and cumulative clinical and serologic variables.

Cardiovascular Events, Malignancies, and Efficacy Outcomes in Latin American Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving Tofacitinib or Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ORAL Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To assess safety/efficacy of tofacitinib and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients from Latin America (LATAM) in ORAL Surveillance. METHODS: In ORAL Surveillance, 4362 patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged ≥50 years with ≥1 additional cardiovascular risk factor received tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily or TNFi. This post hoc analysis stratified patients by geographical location (LATAM, n = 1202; non-LATAM, n = 3160). Incidence rates (IRs; patients with first event/100 patient-years) and hazard ratios for adverse events of special interest were reported. Efficacy outcomes included Clinical Disease Activity Index and American College of Rheumatology 20/50/70 responses. RESULTS: Risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and malignancies were less prevalent in the LATAM cohort compared with the non-LATAM cohort. IRs for patients receiving tofacitinib (combined doses) versus TNFi were 0.54 versus 0.28 (LATAM) and 1.14 versus 0.92 (non-LATAM) for major adverse cardiovascular events; 0.58 versus 0.27 (LATAM) and 1.33 versus 0.95 (non-LATAM) for malignancies excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer; and 0.69 versus 0.35 (LATAM) and 0.63 versus 0.33 (non-LATAM) for all-cause death. IRs for nonmelanoma skin cancer and venous thromboembolism were also numerically higher with tofacitinib versus TNFi and in the non-LATAM cohort versus LATAM. Efficacy was similar across treatment groups within each cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse events of special interest were generally less frequent in LATAM versus non-LATAM patients, reflecting differences in baseline characteristics, and higher with tofacitinib versus TNFi in both cohorts, consistent with the overall findings of ORAL Surveillance. Our findings emphasize the importance of assessing individual risk factors to guide benefit/risk assessment and treatment decisions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02092467.

Update of the guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by the Mexican College of Rheumatology 2023.

OBJECTIVE: To develop updated guidelines for the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A group of experts representative of different geographical regions and various medical services catering to the Mexican population with RA was formed. Questions based on Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) were developed, deemed clinically relevant. These questions were answered based on the results of a recent systematic literature review (SLR), and the evidence's validity was assessed using the GRADE system, considered a standard for these purposes. Subsequently, the expert group reached consensus on the direction and strength of recommendations through a multi-stage voting process. RESULTS: The updated guidelines for RA treatment stratify various therapeutic options, including different classes of DMARDs (conventional, biologicals, and JAK inhibitors), as well as NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, and analgesics. By consensus, it establishes the use of these in different subpopulations of interest among RA patients and addresses aspects related to vaccination, COVID-19, surgery, pregnancy and lactation, and others. CONCLUSIONS: This update of the Mexican guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of RA provides reference points for evidence-based decision-making, recommending patient participation in joint decision-making to achieve the greatest benefit for our patients. It also establishes recommendations for managing a variety of relevant conditions affecting our patients.

Actualización de las guías para el tratamiento farmacológico de la artritis reumatoide del Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología 2023 / Update of the guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by the Mexican College of Rheumatology 2023

Desarrollar guías actualizadas para el manejo farmacológico de la artritis reumatoide (AR). Se conformó un grupo de expertos que fueran representativos de las distintas regiones geográficas y los diferentes servicios médicos que atienden a la población mexicana con AR. Se desarrollaron preguntas basadas en Población, Intervención, Comparación y Desenlace [Outcome] (PICO) que fueron consideradas relevantes desde el punto de vista clínico; las preguntas encontraron su respuesta en los resultados de una revisión sistemática de la literatura (RSL) reciente y la validez de la evidencia fue evaluada mediante el sistema GRADE, considerado un estándar para estos fines. Posteriormente, el grupo de expertos desarrollaró un acuerdo en la dirección y fuerza de las recomendaciones mediante un proceso de votación en distintas etapas. Las guías actualizadas para el tratamiento de la AR categorizan en forma estratificada a las distintas opciones terapéuticas incluyendo las distintas familias de fármacos modificadores de la enfermedad (FARME): convencionales, biológicos e inhibidores de JAK), además de AINE, glucocorticoides y analgésicos. Establece por consenso el uso de todos ellos en distintas subpoblaciones de interés de pacientes con AR, y aborda, además, aspectos relacionados con la vacunación, la COVID-19, la cirugía, el embarazo y la lactancia entre otros. La presente actualización de las guías mexicanas para el tratamiento farmacológico de la AR brinda elementos de referencia en la toma de decisiones basados en la evidencia científica más reciente, y recomienda la participación del paciente para la toma de decisiones conjuntas en la búsqueda del mayor beneficio de nuestros pacientes; establece además, recomendaciones para el manejo de una diversidad de condiciones relevantes que afectan a nuestros pacientes.

Factors Associated With Distress Related to Perceived Dignity in Patients With Rheumatic Diseases.

BACKGROUND: The loss of perceived dignity is an existential source of human suffering, described in patients with cancer and chronic diseases and hospitalized patients but rarely explored among patients with rheumatic diseases (RMDs). We recently observed that distress related to perceived dignity (DPD) was present in 26.9% of Mexican patients with different RMDs. The study aimed to investigate the factors associated with DPD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between February and September 2022. Consecutive patients with RMDs completed patient-reported outcomes (to assess mental health, disease activity/severity, disability, fatigue, quality of life [QoL], satisfaction with medical care, and family function) and had a rheumatic evaluation to assess disease activity status and comorbidity. Sociodemographic variables and disease-related and treatment-related variables were retrieved with standardized formats. DPD was defined based on the Patient Dignity Inventory score. Multivariate regression analysis was used. RESULTS: Four hundred patients were included and were representative of outpatients with RMDs, while 7.5% each were inpatients and patients from the emergency care unit. There were 107 patients (26.8%) with DPD. Past mental health-related comorbidity (Odds Ratio [OR]: 4.680 [95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.906-11.491]), the number of immunosuppressive drugs/patient (OR: 1.683 [95% CI: 1.015-2.791]), the physical health dimension score of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) (OR: 0.937 [95% CI: 0.907-0.967]), and the emotional health dimension score of the WHOQOL-BREF (OR: 0.895 [95% CI: 0.863-0.928]) were associated with DPD. CONCLUSIONS: DPD was present in a substantial proportion of patients with RMDs and was associated with mental health-related comorbidity, disease activity/severity-related variables, and the patient QoL.

Sexual and reproductive health while living with rheumatoid arthritis: The impact of the disease stage on patient perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent rheumatic diseases that harms all aspects of patients' lives, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH), often neglected in patients' care. The study aimed to explore the sexual and reproductive experiences of Mexican outpatients with RA from a narrative perspective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 2020 to October 2021, 30 adult patients with RA from the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology outpatient clinic of a national referral center for rheumatic diseases had in-depth interviews audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results are presented in a descriptive and interpretative manner and integrated into a theoretical model for the topic understanding. RESULTS: Five intertwined major themes emerged: I) RA onset: Absence of SRH contents, II) Healthcare for RA: Emerging SRH contents, III) RA's impact: Proliferation of SRH contents, IV) Coping with the process of living with RA: SRH-related strategies, and V) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients' experiences: Increased SRH burden. SRH contents emerged through these major themes (but at RA onset), mostly when inquired and mainly when narrating the RA impact and coping. Patients identified that RA affected their couple dynamics, sexual function, and reproductive project. The SRH care was considered relevant but limited and focused on reproductive contents. It worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. We proposed a theoretical model where patients' SRH experiences are embedded across their RA biography and integrated with the RA impact and the copy with the disease process. These intertwined experiences were also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, which challenged participants' biopsychosocial resources. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual and reproductive experiences narrated by the RA outpatients concerning their disease-related biography showed that even when the SRH appeared as not prioritized at the disease onset, it was widely expressed during the process of living and coping with the disease and was additionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Time to diagnosis in systemic lupus erythematosus: Associated factors and its impact on damage accrual and mortality. Data from a multi-ethnic, multinational Latin American lupus cohort.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often mimics symptoms of other diseases, and the interval between symptom onset and diagnosis may be long in some of these patients. Aims: To describe the characteristics associated with the time to SLE diagnosis and its impact on damage accrual and mortality in patients with SLE from a Latin American inception cohort. METHODS: Patients were from a multi-ethnic, multi-national Latin-American SLE inception cohort. All participating centers had specialized lupus clinics. Socio-demographic, clinical/laboratory, disease activity, damage, and mortality between those with a longer and a shorter time to diagnosis were compared using descriptive statistical tests. Multivariable Cox regression models with damage accrual and mortality as the end points were performed, adjusting for age at SLE diagnosis, gender, ethnicity, level of education, and highest dose of prednisone for damage accrual, plus highest dose of prednisone, baseline SLEDAI, and baseline SDI for mortality. RESULTS: Of the 1437 included in these analyses, the median time to diagnosis was 6.0 months (Q1-Q3 2.4-16.2); in 721 (50.2%) the time to diagnosis was longer than 6 months. Patients whose diagnosis took longer than 6 months were more frequently female, older at diagnosis, of Mestizo ethnicity, not having medical insurance, and having "non-classic" SLE symptoms. Longer time to diagnosis had no impact on either damage accrual (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.93-1.28, p = 0.300) or mortality (HR 1.37, 95% CI 0.88-2.12, p = 0.200). CONCLUSIONS: In this inception cohort, a maximum time of 24 months with a median of 6 months to SLE diagnosis had no apparent negative impact on disease outcomes (damage accrual and mortality).

Perceived dignity is an unrecognized source of emotional distress in patients with rheumatic diseases: Results from the validation of the Mexican version of the Patient Dignity Inventory.

INTRODUCTION: Dignity has rarely been explored in patients with rheumatic diseases (RMDs), which contrasts with patients´ observations that dignity is a relevant area for research focus. The study's primary objective was to adapt and validate the Mexican version of the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI-Mx) in patients with RMDs, and to estimate the proportion of patients with distress related to perceived dignity (DPD) assessed with the PDI-Mx. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was developed in 2 phases. Phase 1 consisted of pilot testing and questionnaire feasibility (n = 50 patients), PDI-Mx content validity (experts' agreement), construct validity (exploratory factor analysis), discriminant validity (Heterotrait-Monotrait correlations' rate [HTMT]), criterion validity (Spearman correlations) and PDI-Mx reliability with internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest (intra-class correlation coefficients [ICC]) in 220 additional outpatients (among whom 30 underwent test-retest). Phase 2 consisted of quantifying DPD (PDI-Mx cut-off ≥54.4) in 290 outpatients with RMDs. RESULTS: Overall, patients were representative of typical outpatients with RMDs from a National tertiary care level center. The 25-item PDI-Mx was found feasible, valid (experts' agreement ≥82%; a 4-factor structure accounted for 68.7% of the total variance; HTMT = 0.608; the strength of the correlations was moderate to high between the PDI-Mx, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale dimensions scores, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index score) and reliable (Cronbach's ɑ = 0.962, ICC = 0.939 [95%CI = 0.913-0.961]). DPD was present in 78 patients (26.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The PDI-Mx questionnaire showed good psychometric properties for assessing DPD in our population. Perceived dignity in patients with RMDs might be an unrecognized source of emotional distress.

Sleep quality and predictors of optimal sleep in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from a recent-onset cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders are part of the symptomatology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and are related to disease characteristics and comorbidities. The study describes sleep quality among RA patients and identifies predictors of optimal sleep. METHODS: Patients whose data were analysed were identified from the recent-onset RA cohort initiated in 2004. In 2010, the Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) was incorporated into the patients' assessments. Up to December 2019, the cohort comprised 187 patients with at least one MOS-SS application (in 78 patients at cohort entry) and six months of outcomes behaviour (cumulative) previous to the MOS-SS application: DAS28-ESR, pain-VAS, fatigue, HAQ-DI, SF-36, treatment (corticosteroids, DMARDs/patient and adherence), Charlson score, and major depressive episodes. A trained data abstractor retrospectively reviewed their charts. Multiple logistic regression analysis estimated odds ratios (95% confidence interval) to define baseline and cumulative variables predictive of optimal sleep (dichotomised variable derived from the quantity of sleep dimension of the MOS-SS). RESULTS: At the first MOS-SS application, patients were primarily middle-aged women with short disease duration and low disease activity. They scored higher on the "snoring" and "sleep non-adequacy" MOS-SS dimensions. There were 96 patients (51.3%) with optimal sleep. Lower baseline BMI, better baseline fatigue score, longer follow-up at the clinic, and better SF-36 physical summary score were predictors of optimal sleep (mental summary score also remained in the model when switched to the physical summary score). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal sleep is achieved by half of the RA patients and predicted by BMI, patient-reported outcomes, and follow-up.

The COVID-19 epidemic curve and vaccine acceptance among patients with rheumatic diseases: an ecological study.

The attitudes toward emerging COVID-19 vaccines have been of great interest worldwide, especially among vulnerable populations such as patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the nationwide number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and vaccine acceptance or hesitancy of patients with RMDs from four patient care centers in Mexico. Furthermore, we explored differences in acceptance according to specific diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This ecological study was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire to measure vaccine acceptance. We generated a global Likert scale to evaluate overall attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. We analyzed data from 1336 patients from March to September 2021: 85.13% (1169) were women, with a mean age of 47.87 (SD 14.14) years. The most frequent diagnoses were RA (42.85%, 559) and SLE (27.08%, 393). 635(47.52%) patients were unvaccinated, 253(18.93%) had one dose and 478(35.77%) had two doses. Of all participating patients, 94% were accepting toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine acceptance remained consistently high throughout the study. However, differences in vaccine acceptance are identified when comparing diagnoses. The peak of the national epidemic curve coincided with an increase in hesitancy among patients with RA. Contrastingly, patients with SLE became more accepting as the epidemic curve peaked. Mexican patients show high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, influenced in part by a patient's specific diagnosis. Furthermore, vaccine acceptance increased mirroring the curve of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country. This should be taken into consideration when updating recommendations for clinical practice.

Validation of the Mexican version of the Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death in patients undergoing palliative care in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: The Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death (SAHD) has emerged as a valid and reliable tool to assess the wish to hasten death (WTHD) among patients diagnosed with advanced cancer; however, the instrument has never been culturally adapted and validated for patients in Mexico. This study sought to validate and abbreviate the SAHD tool for use among patients attending the Palliative Care Service of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico. METHODS: The SAHD was culturally adapted from a previously published validation in patients from Spain. Eligible patients included Spanish literate subjects treated as outpatients in the Palliative Care Service, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-3. Patients were asked to answer the Mexican version of SAHD (SAHD-Mx) instrument and the Brief Edinburgh Depression Scale (BEDS). RESULTS: A total of 225 patients were included in the study. Median positive response in the SAHD-Mx was 2 (range 0-18). Positive correlation was identified between the SAHD-Mx scale and ECOG performance status (r = 0.188, p = 0.005), as well as BEDS (r = 0.567, p < 0.001). SAHD-Mx displayed strong internal consistency (alpha = 0.85) and adequate reliability from test-retest phone interviews (r = 0.567, p < 0.001). Using the confirmatory factor analysis model, a factor was identified and the number of items was reduced to 6, including items 4, 5, 9, 10, 13, and 18. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The SAHD-Mx emerges as an adequate tool, with appropriate psychometric characteristics, for assessing WTHD among patients diagnosed with cancer undergoing palliative care in Mexico. .

Predictors of severe hemolytic anemia and its impact on major outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: Data from a multiethnic Latin American cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictors of the occurrence of severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and its impact on damage accrual and mortality in SLE patients. METHODS: Factors associated with time to severe AIHA (hemoglobin level ≤7 g/dL) occurring from the onset of SLE symptoms were examined by Cox proportional hazards regressions. The association of severe AIHA with mortality was examined by logistic regression analyses while its impact on damage was by negative binomial regression. RESULTS: Of 1,349 patients, 49 (3.6%) developed severe AIHA over a mean (SD) follow-up time of 5.4 (3.8) years. The median time from the first clinical manifestation to severe AIHA was 111 days (IQR 43-450). By multivariable analysis, male sex (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.02-4.75, p = 0.044), and higher disease activity at diagnosis (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08, p = 0.025) were associated with a shorter time to severe AIHA occurrence. Of the SLEDAI descriptors, only hematologic (leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia) showed a certain trend toward significance in the multivariable analysis (HR 2.36, 95% CI 0.91-6.13, p = 0.0772). Severe AIHA contributed neither to damage nor to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Severe AIHA occurs during the early course of SLE. Male sex and higher disease activity at diagnosis emerged as independent predictors of a shorter time to severe AIHA occurrence. Although not statistically significant, hematological abnormalities at SLE diagnosis could predict the occurrence of severe AIHA in a shorter time. Damage and mortality did not seem to be impacted by the occurrence of severe AIHA.

The role of personality traits on self-medicated cannabis in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A multivariable analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients commonly report medicinal cannabis use (MCU). Personality has been independently associated with both RA-related outcomes and MCU, but there is no information available on how they interact in RA patients. This study aimed to investigate a potential association between personality traits and MCU in RA outpatients, as well as to identify additional factors associated with its use. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between June 2020 and August 2021. Consecutive RA outpatients had standardized evaluations using an interview format to collect sociodemographic information, comorbidities, risk of recreational substance use, RA-related disease activity/severity, health-related quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, five personality traits, and MCU in the 12 months before the interview. Multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR). The study was IRB-approved. RESULTS: 180 patients were included; 160 (88.9%) were women with a mean age of 53.4 ± 13 years. Fifty-three (29.4%) patients reported MCU. Among them, 52 (98.1%) used topical formulations. Neuroticism had the highest overall score ([Formula: see text] = 3.47 ± 0.34). Openness to experience trait was higher in MCU patients in the comparative analysis (p = 0.007). In the multivariable regression, higher openness trait (aOR: 2.81, 95%CI: 1.11-7.10) along with moderate risk in tobacco use (aOR: 3.36, 95%CI: 1.04-10.7) and higher RA disease activity/severity (aOR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.01-1.19) were independently associated with MCU. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, personality influenced the seeking of MCU for pain relief, associating dynamically with higher disease activity/severity and tobacco use. Contrary to other available information, it did not relate to psychopathology or the recreational use of cannabis. Proactive interdisciplinary clinical evaluations around MCU in RA outpatients should include personality, besides standard clinical assessments, to understand patients' motivations for its use as they may reveal important clinical information.

Factors Associated With Household Work Limitations in Mexican Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Impact of the Disease on Women's Life.

BACKGROUND: Little attention has been given to the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on domestic work, which remains the domain of women, particularly in the Latin American region. The study identified factors associated with RA-related household work limitations (HOWL) in Mexican for women with long-standing disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between September 2020 and April 2022, in patients from the recent-onset RA cohort (initiated in 2004). At study entry, patients had standard rheumatic assessments and were administered the HOWL questionnaire, a survey to assess family responsibilities, household work characteristics, and the patient's economic dependency, and the family APGAR index to assess family function. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified variables associated with RA-related HOWL. RESULTS: Data from 114 female RA patients were analyzed. Overall, at cohort entry, patients were middle-aged (median, 37.5 years), with 12 years of education, and the minority (n = 42 [39.3%]) were married or living together. Patients were representative of typical patients with recent-onset disease and had significant disease activity. At study entry, the patients had 12 (7-16) years of disease duration, and their disease was under control. The median (interquartile range) HOLW-Q score was 0.67 (0-3.33), and 33 patients (28.9%) had RA-related HOWL. Receiving financial support for family living expenses, requiring assistance for activities of daily living, and DAS28 (Disease Activity Score, 28 joints evaluated) were associated with RA-related HOWL; meanwhile, a better Short-Form 36 score at disease onset was protective. CONCLUSIONS: Domestic work in Mexican RA women might be impacted by social determinants, health-related quality of life at disease onset, and current disease activity status.

Impact of a hybrid medical care model in the rheumatoid arthritis patient-reported outcomes: A non-inferiority crossover randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients and physicians can naturally adopt hybrid healthcare models that combine face-to-face consultations with telemedicine. The study's objective was to compare the impact of two healthcare interventions, hybrid care modality and face-to-face consultation, on the patient-reported outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis patients, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Consecutive outpatients reincorporated to a clinic previously in lockdown were invited to a non-inferiority, randomized study (October 2020--May 2022). Patients were randomized to 6 months of face-to-face consultation or hybrid care modality (intervention period-1) and then the converse modality (intervention period-2). The primary outcome was disease activity/severity behavior (Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3). Additional patient-reported outcomes were disability (Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index), quality-of-life (World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire-brief version), adherence and satisfaction with medical care, and treatment recommendation. Sample size calculation established 55 patients/healthcare interventions. RESULTS: There were 138 patients invited to participate, 130 agreed and 121 completed their study participation. Sixty-one and 60 patients respectively, received face-to-face consultation and hybrid care modality over intervention period-1. Patients were primarily middle-aged females (90.1%), with (median, IQR) 12 (9-16) years of education, long-standing disease, working (62.8%), receiving disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (96.7%), and corticosteroids (61.2%). Patients had low disease activity (median Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3: 2.7) and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index score that translated into the absence of disability, while quality of life was compromised. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients assigned to each healthcare intervention. Differences in Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 behavior were below the non-inferiority margin. Results considered the order in which patients received the intervention and baselines scores, and extended to the patient-reported outcomes left. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid care modality was non-inferior to in-person consultations in achieving patient-reported outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Telomeres Length Variations in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Cohort at Early Disease Onset and after Follow-Up.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovial joint inflammation, progressive disability, premature immune aging, and telomere length (TL) shortening. Objectives: The objective of the study was to study TL changes in patients at early disease onset and after follow-up. Methods: Relative leukocyte TL (rLTL) was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 88 at-admission patients (AAP) with < 1 year of symptoms onset, self-compared after follow-up, and a reference group of sex- and age-matched healthy individuals. Correlations between rLTL percentage change after variable disease exposure time (DET) and clinical laboratory disease activity markers and treatments were assessed. Non-parametrical statistics were applied, considering < 0.05 p-value significant. Results: The median (p25, p75) rLTL was lower in patients after DET (0.61, 0.49-0.70) than in AAP (0.64, 0.50-0.77), p = 0.017. Furthermore, telomeres at early stages of RA were shorter than in the reference group (0.77, 0.59-0.92; p = 0.003). HLA-DRB1*04 allele carrier status did not significantly affect rLTL at an early stage and after follow-up. The patients' rLTL shortening was mainly associated with longer at-admission telomeres (OR 16.2, 95%CI: 3.5-74.4; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: At follow-up, RA patients showed significantly shorter rLTL than AAP, particularly in those AAP with longer telomeres, disregarding disease activity and treatments, denoting an rLTL shortening effect influenced by age, DET, and native rLTL.

Infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib versus tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: results from the open-label, randomised controlled ORAL Surveillance trial.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in ORAL Surveillance. METHODS: In this open-label, randomised controlled trial, patients with RA aged≥50 years with ≥1 additional cardiovascular risk factor received tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg two times per day or a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi). Incidence rates (IRs; patients with first events/100 patient-years) and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for infections, overall and by age (50-<65 years; ≥65 years). Probabilities of infections were obtained (Kaplan-Meier estimates). Cox modelling identified infection risk factors. RESULTS: IRs/HRs for all infections, serious infection events (SIEs) and non-serious infections (NSIs) were higher with tofacitinib (10>5 mg two times per day) versus TNFi. For SIEs, HR (95% CI) for tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg two times per day versus TNFi, respectively, were 1.17 (0.92 to 1.50) and 1.48 (1.17 to 1.87). Increased IRs/HRs for all infections and SIEs with tofacitinib 10 mg two times per day versus TNFi were more pronounced in patients aged≥65 vs 50-<65 years. SIE probability increased from month 18 and before month 6 with tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg two times per day versus TNFi, respectively. NSI probability increased before month 6 with both tofacitinib doses versus TNFi. Across treatments, the most predictive risk factors for SIEs were increasing age, baseline opioid use, history of chronic lung disease and time-dependent oral corticosteroid use, and, for NSIs, female sex, history of chronic lung disease/infections, past smoking and time-dependent Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, C-reactive protein. CONCLUSIONS: Infections were higher with tofacitinib versus TNFi. Findings may inform future treatment decisions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02092467.