More Health Problems Seen in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Rather Than Ost

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More Health Problems Seen in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Rather Than

Osteoarthritis

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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Health) Nov 3 - Rheumatoid arthritis patients have more

health complaints unrelated to their disease compared with osteoarthritis

patients, according to Dr. J. Ofman, assistant professor of medicine at

the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.

" Unlike osteoarthritis patients, rheumatoid arthritis patients have a much more

systemic condition, " Dr. Ofman said at a meeting of the American College of

Rheumatology. " It impacts many more parts of life than just their joints - their

quality of life, their sense of well-being, and their psychosocial health. "

Dr. Ofman and colleagues looked at visits to physicians over a nine-year period

by more than 1100 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 5000 osteoarthritis (OA)

patients, and 211,000 non-arthritis patients. Data were taken from the National

Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

The researchers found that RA patients were significantly more likely than OA

patients to seek help for general symptoms such as fatigue, digestive problems,

and skin, hair, or nail problems.

" Issues related to the patients' non-arthritis care need to be addressed, " Dr.

Ofman said. " Good quality of care for RA patients is often not practiced, but if

some of these other issues were addressed, these patients might do a little bit

better. "

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/11/11.03/20001102epid009.html