Rate of change in functional limitations for patients with RA: effects of sex, age, and duration of illness

July 7, 2004

J Rheumatol. 2004 Jul;31(7):1286-92.

Rate of change in functional limitations for patients with rheumatoid

arthritis: effects of sex, age, and duration of illness.

Sheehan TJ, Dubrava S, Fifield J, Reisine S, Dechello L.

Department of Community Medicine and Health Care and Department of

Family Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine,

Connecticut, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate of change in functional limitations for

patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a function of age, duration

of illness, and sex. METHODS: Patients with RA (n = 700) aged 21-65

years in 1988 were interviewed yearly for 6 years in The National

Rheumatoid Arthritis Study. Functional limitations scores based on a

Rasch measurement model of 20 Health Assessment Questionnaire items were

analyzed in mixed-effects models to estimate the rate of change in

functional ability as a function of age, duration of illness, sex, and

interactions. RESULTS: Models for both patient age and duration of

illness significantly predicted limitations in functional ability for

men and women. The model for age included a significant cubic effect;

the model for duration of illness included a significant linear effect

only. Sex was significant in both models and no interactions were

significant in either model. The AIC index of fit, an indicator of the

information value of the model, favored the model for duration of

illness over the model for age. While both models showed higher levels

of functional limitations in women than men, the rate of change for

women was similar to men.

CONCLUSION: Limitation in functional ability in RA progressed in a

linear manner with duration of illness and progressed at the same rate

for both men and women, but functional limitations were greater for

women.

PMID: 15229945

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

Recommended Posts