RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Spondyloarthritis Is Associated with Poor Function and Physical Health-Related Quality of Life
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP jrheum.081015
DO 10.3899/jrheum.081015
A1 Jasvinder A. Singh
A1 Vibeke Strand
YR 2009
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2009/04/14/jrheum.081015.abstract
AB Objective To study physical function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in US veterans with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Methods In a postal survey of 70,334 eligible veterans, demographics, performance of activities of daily living (ADL), and HRQOL, by Veterans Short Form-36, were queried; 58% responded (n = 40,508). Databases provided International Classification of Diseases, 9th ed. codes for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic (PsA) and reactive arthritis (ReA), comorbidities, and demographics. Multivariable linear/logistic regressions compared ADL limitations and HRQOL in SpA versus non-SpA, and predictors in SpA. Results Six hundred sixty-four veteran respondents had diagnoses of SpA: AS, n = 100; PsA, n = 551; ReA, n = 13. Veterans with AS, PsA, and ReA had significantly more limitations in dressing (44%, 23%, 24% vs 22%; p = 0.0002), transferring (57%, 42%, 64% vs 39%; p = 0.0006), walking (74%, 57%, 67% vs 54%; p = 0.0005), and overall mean ADL limitations (2.5, 1.7, 2.1 vs 1.6; p < 0.0001) compared to veterans without SpA, after multivariable adjustment. Limitations in eachADL in patients with SpA were 1.3–5.3 times that of an age-matched US cohort. Physical HRQOL was significantly lower compared with non-SpA veterans (p < 0.0001 for physical component summary, physical functioning, role physical, and bodily pain; p = 0.004 for general health) and age-sex-matched US norms; all differences exceeded clinically meaningful threshold of 5–10 units. More limitations in ADL were significantly associated with lower physical component summary scores in patients with AS and with lower physical and mental component summary scores in PsA. Conclusion After adjustment for differences in demographics and comorbidities, poorer physical function and HRQOL were observed in patients with SpA. Strategies focused to improve/maintain functional status are important for treatment of SpA.