The Painful Truth: The Relationship Between Nonarticular Pain and Patient Global Assessment Before and After Initiating a New Disease‐Modifying Antirheumatic Drug for Active Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors' conclusion
There was a significant linear relationship between NAP and PtGA, most of which could be explained by pain intensity.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating a new disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)83.8% female
- Participants
- 197 adults
- Outcome
- Association between NAP (body pain diagram, 0-19 sites) and PtGA, and mediation by pain intensity
- Follow-up
- Baseline and three months
Methodological detailsmultivariable linear regression, mediation analysis
- Multivariable linear regression
- Mediation analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PtGA per site of NAP (0-19), adjusted linear regression · baseline
Each site of nonarticular pain (NAP) associated with higher patient global assessment (PtGA) (β)
0.20
95% CI 0.12–0.28
Proportion of association mediated by pain intensity
61.8%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of NAP
- NAP reported at baseline
- 92.9%
- NAP reported at three months
- 84.8%
NAP and PtGA association and mediation · three months
- Similar findings to baseline
Original publication
The Painful Truth: The Relationship Between Nonarticular Pain and Patient Global Assessment Before and After Initiating a New Disease‐Modifying Antirheumatic Drug for Active Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 4 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →