© 1996 British Society for Rheumatology
research-article |
CORRELATES OF FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY IN EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF 706 PATIENTS IN FOUR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
*Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway
Oslo City Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital Oslo, Norway
School of Public Health, University of Nancy Nancy, France
Rheumatology Unit, Green Park Health Care Trust, Musgrave Park Hospital Belfast
¶Northern Centre for Health Care Research, University of Groningen The Netherlands
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to: L. M. Smedstad, Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, PO Box 1111 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
In this cross-sectional study of 706 European patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of 
4 yr duration, we examined possible correlates of functional disability assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire. First, we examined a subsample of 237 Norwegian patients. The Ritchie index, sex, age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and disease duration correlated significantly with disability, whereas serum rheumatoid factor, hand X-ray changes and educational level did not. Subsequently, we cross-validated these findings in a similar sample of 469 French, Dutch and Northern Irish patients. The results supported the Ritchie index, sex, ESR and disease duration as significant correlates of disability, whereas rheumatoid factor, age and education were not significantly correlated with disability. The correlation between X-ray changes and disability could not be cross-validated. The main findings of this study are that female sex correlates significantly with disability even early in the course of RA, whereas the rheumatoid factor does not.
KEY WORDS: Rheumatoid arthritis, Disability, Prognosis, Age, Sex, Rheumatoid factor
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Odegard, A. Finset, P. Mowinckel, T. K. Kvien, and T. Uhlig Pain and psychological health status over a 10-year period in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis Ann Rheum Dis, September 1, 2007; 66(9): 1195 - 1201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. B. Hammer, S. Odegard, M. K Fagerhol, R. Landewe, D. v. d. Heijde, T. Uhlig, P. Mowinckel, and T. K Kvien Calprotectin (a major leucocyte protein) is strongly and independently correlated with joint inflammation and damage in rheumatoid arthritis Ann Rheum Dis, August 1, 2007; 66(8): 1093 - 1097. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Kobelt, P. Lindgren, Y. Lindroth, L. Jacobson, and K. Eberhardt Modelling the effect of function and disease activity on costs and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatology, September 1, 2005; 44(9): 1169 - 1175. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Minnock, O. FitzGerald, and B. Bresnihan Women with established rheumatoid arthritis perceive pain as the predominant impairment of health status Rheumatology, August 1, 2003; 42(8): 995 - 1000. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G Stucki Understanding disability Ann Rheum Dis, April 1, 2003; 62(4): 289 - 290. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. L. Scott and V. Strand The effects of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs on the Health Assessment Questionnaire score. Lessons from the leflunomide clinical trials database Rheumatology, August 1, 2002; 41(8): 899 - 909. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J Fransen, D Uebelhart, G Stucki, T Langenegger, M Seitz, and B A Michel The ICIDH-2 as a framework for the assessment of functioning and disability in rheumatoid arthritis Ann Rheum Dis, March 1, 2002; 61(3): 225 - 231. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Girard, F. Guillemin, J. L. Novella, I. Valckenaere, K. Krzanowska, F. Vitry, O. Vittecoq, J. P. Eschard, F. Blanchard, and X. Le Loet Health-care use by rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with non-arthritic subjects Rheumatology, February 1, 2002; 41(2): 167 - 175. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Uhlig, L M. Smedstad, P. Vaglum, T. Moum, N. Gerard, and T. K. Kvien The course of rheumatoid arthritis and predictors of psychological, physical and radiographic outcome after 5 years of follow-up Rheumatology, July 1, 2000; 39(7): 732 - 741. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. L. Scott, K. Pugner, K. Kaarela, D. V. Doyle, A. Woolf, J. Holmes, and K. Hieke The links between joint damage and disability in rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatology, February 1, 2000; 39(2): 122 - 132. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|