Disability Related to the Upper Extremities in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis – Long-term Course and Disease Parameter Impact: a cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Disability related to the UEs decreased significantly during the first 6 months, and increased again after 2 years.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosed 1995–2005
- Participants
- 222 patients
- Outcome
- Course of upper-extremity disability (HAQ-DI-UE subscore)
Methodological details10-year follow-up, multivariate linear regression
- 10-year follow-up
- Multivariate linear regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
HAQ-DI-UE change from inclusion · 6 months
Mean change in HAQ-DI-UE, inclusion to 6 months
−0.26
95% CI −0.18 to −0.34
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlations of HAQ-DI-UE with clinical variables, all timepoints through 5 years
- Grip force, r
- −0.50 to −0.62
- Patient global assessment, r
- 0.53 to 0.64
- Patient-reported pain, r
- 0.54 to 0.60
- Only moderate to weak correlations with swollen joints, CRP and ESR
Joint involvement and HAQ-DI-UE (multivariate linear regression)
- At inclusion, wrist synovitis and tender PIP joints both had an independent effect on HAQ-DI-UE
- At 6 months, tenderness of the shoulder and the wrist had greater importance
Original publication
Disability Related to the Upper Extremities in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis – Long-term Course and Disease Parameter Impact: a cohort study. J Rheumatol. Published 15 October 2024. doi:10.
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