Multimorbidity Patterns and Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Outcomes: Findings From a Multicenter, Prospective Cohort
Authors' conclusion
Mental health and substance abuse, chronic pain, and cardiovascular multimorbidity patterns are associated with increased RA disease activity and poorer functional status.
Study context
- Population
- Veterans Affairs rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry participants (88.2% male, 76.9% white, 79.3% smoking history)
- Participants
- 2,956 participants
- Exposure
- Multimorbidity patterns vs their absence
- Outcome
- RA disease activity (DAS28) and functional status (MDHAQ), assessed longitudinally
- Follow-up
- Up to 5 years after enrollment
Methodological detailsmulticentre, generalized estimating equations adjusted for relevant confounders
- Multicentre
- Generalized estimating equations adjusted for relevant confounders
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
DAS28 by multimorbidity pattern
β
- Mental health and substance abuse
- 0.12 (95% CI 0.00–0.23)
- Cardiovascular
- 0.25 (95% CI 0.12–0.38)
- Chronic pain
- 0.21 (95% CI 0.11–0.31)
- All four patterns
- 0.59 (95% CI 0.36–0.83)
- Number of multimorbidity patterns highly associated with DAS28
- P for trend < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) by multimorbidity pattern
| β (95% CI) | |
|---|---|
| Mental health and substance abuse | 0.09 (0.03–0.15) |
| Cardiovascular | 0.11 (0.04–0.17) |
| Chronic pain | 0.15 (0.10–0.20) |
| All four patterns | 0.27 (0.16–0.39) |
- MDHAQ by multimorbidity pattern — Number of multimorbidity patterns highly associated with MDHAQ
- P trend < 0.001
MDHAQ by multimorbidity pattern
- Metabolic pattern not associated with MDHAQ
Original publication
Multimorbidity Patterns and Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Outcomes: Findings From a Multicenter, Prospective Cohort. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 30 October 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →