RESUMEN
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effect of age on disease activity and biological treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Patients and methods: A total of 811 AS patients registered in the TURKBIO registry database between 2011 and 2019 were categorized according to their age at the time of entry into the registry and assigned to one of two groups: young patients, defined as <60 years of age (n=610), and those aged ≥60 years (n=201) were recorded as elderly patients. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics, along with disease activity markers and other follow-up parameters, as well as current and prior treatments, were electronically recorded during each visit using open-source software. Results: The mean age of the elderly patients was 67±5.8 years, while the mean age of the younger patients was 49.2±10.9 years. Male predominance was lower in the older AS group compared to the younger AS group (p=0.002). During follow-up period, 397 patients (comprising 318 young and 79 elderly individuals) had a history of using at least one biological disease-modifying agent (bDMARD). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of DMARD and bDMARD-use distributions. First tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) retention rates were found to be similar in both groups over 10 years of follow-up. Adverse events were found to be similar in young (19.9%) and elderly (26.8%) AS patients. Conclusion: Research in the TURKBIO cohort reveals that both older and younger patients with AS exhibited similar disease activity levels with comparable treatment approaches. Moreover, the results of TNFi treatments in elderly patients were the same as those observed in younger patients, with no notable increase in safety concerns.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the relation of scoliosis with coronal and sagittal balance parameters and the effect of postural balancing in young adults with idiopathic scoliosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between April 2017 and June 2017, a total of 24 patients (7 males, 24 females; mean age 20.3±2 years; range 17 to 24) who were diagnosed with scoliosis and 65 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (20 males, 45 females; mean age 20.3±1.6 years; range 19 to 25) were included in the study. The Cobb angle, sagittal balance, coronal balance, and truncal shift were measured with radiographs in the patient group. The Biodex Balance System (BBS) was used to assess the general stability index, anterior- posterior and medial-lateral stability index, and fall risk. RESULTS: All balance parameters were significantly worse in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.05). The static balance was mostly associated with sagittal balance, followed by coronal balance. In the patients with left scoliosis, sagittal balance was 93% negative and 67% of the patients gave their weight to the back. Coronal balance was negative in 60% of the patients and 93.3% of the patients were weighted to the right side. In 89% of the patients with right scoliosis, sagittal balance was negative and 89% of the patients gave their weight to the back. Coronal balance was 44% neutral and 78% of the patients gave their weight to the right side. CONCLUSION: In patients with scoliosis, the static balance is worse than healthy individuals. Static balance is mostly related to sagittal balance and also to coronal balance. While the coronal balance tends to be in the direction of the curve, both right and left scoliosis give more weight to the right.
