title: Vascular function and handgrip strength in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship of handgrip strength with forearm blood flow (BF) and vascular resistance (VR) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forearm BF at rest (RBF) and after upper arm occlusion (RHBF), and handgrip strength were examined in 78 individuals (RA = 42 and controls (CT) = 36). Subsequently, VR at rest (RVR) and after occlusion (RHVR) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' RBF (P = 0.02) and RHBF (P = 0.0001) were less, whereas RVR (P = 0.002) and RHVR (P = 0.0001) were greater as compared to the CTs. Similarly, handgrip strength was lower in the RAs (P = 0.0001). Finally, handgrip strength was directly associated with RBF (r = 0.43; P = 0.0001), and RHBF (r = 0.5; P = 0.0001), and inversely related to RVR (r = -0.3; P = 0.009) and RHVR (r = -0.3; P = 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study uniquely identifies an association between regional measures of forearm blood flow and handgrip strength in patients and healthy control. In addition, this study confirms the presence of vascular and muscle dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as evidenced by lower forearm blood flow indices, at rest and following occlusion, and lower handgrip strength as compared to healthy individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. alomari@just.edu.jo
authors.forename: Mahmoud A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alomari
authors.forename: Esraa F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Keewan
authors.forename: Rania A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shammaa
authors.forename: Khaldoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alawneh
authors.forename: Said Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Khatib
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Welsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult