title: Functional disability in rheumatoid arthritis: two different models in early and established disease.
abstract: A hypothesis that the development of functional disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) would be more rapid at the beginning than in established disease was studied in a group of 82 patients with RA referred to the Rheumatology Unit of Nancy, France. The relationship between disease activity, articular destruction and functional disability indicated a significant interaction (moderating effect) of disease duration. Two different models are proposed to explain functional disability. A model for early RA (less than 5 years duration) includes biological activity, and a model for established disease (more than 5 years) includes disease duration, extraarticular lesions and radiographic damage. These models could be useful in designs of therapeutic trials.
authors.affiliation: Département de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, CHRU de Nancy, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guillemin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Briançon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pourel
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012044:Regression Analysis