Work disability in an inception cohort of patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis: a 20 year study.
OBJECTIVE
Information from successive inception cohorts is needed to monitor the long-term prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the effect of treatment on it. We studied work disability and its association with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) index and the Larsen score of radiographic damage.


METHODS
Work disability was recorded at onset and at 1, 3, 8, 15 and 20 yr from entry among 103 patients with recent-onset (<6 months) seropositive RA.


RESULTS
Work disability due to RA was already 31% [95% confidence interval (CI) 21-40] after 1 yr among patients of working age. It increased gradually and the cumulative rate reached 80% (95% CI 70-89) by the 20 yr check-up. The mean HAQ index was 0.96 at the 20 yr check-up and the mean Larsen score 45% of the maximum value.


CONCLUSIONS
The data serve as a basis of comparison for later cohort studies.
Jäntti
J
J
Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola and National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Aho
K
K
Kaarela
K
K
Kautiainen
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012698:Serologic Tests