title: Clinical associations in patients with hand osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical associations of hand osteoarthritis (HOA) and their relationships with radiographic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 446 patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOA; 233 with erosive HOA (EHOA) and 213 with non-EHOA) and 307 controls were evaluated. Demographic and clinical data from patients and controls were recorded based on medical records/clinical reports and an anamnesis of drug consumption. Posteroanterior radiographs of both hands were obtained from all HOA patients and were assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (K&L) and Kallman scoring systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI), HOA patients showed a significantly increased odds ratio (OR) for hypercholesterolaemia [OR 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-3.16, p < 0.0005] and autoimmune thyroiditis (OR 4.85, 95% CI 1.77-13.29, p = 0.002), as well as for knee (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.09-2.44, p = 0.018) and hip OA (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.07-3.27, p = 0.029). No significant increase for systemic hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus was found. Patients with EHOA and non-EHOA showed similar risks for the above-mentioned co-morbidities. A similar occurrence of clinical associations was also observed in patients with HOA alone and in those with generalized OA. No association between radiographic scores and clinical associations was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with HOA present a direct association with hypercholesterolaemia (and autoimmune thyroiditis) but do not show increased ischaemic cardiovascular manifestations compared to controls. No significant association between radiographic scores and co-morbidities was found.
authors.affiliation: Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Addimanda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mancarella
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dolzani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramonda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brusi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pignotti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meliconi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology