title: [Quality of life in adults and elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze and compare quality of life (QoL) in adults and elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. The tools include the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS-28), the Assessment Health Questionnaire (HAQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, Student's t test and linear regression test, with significance level of p <0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 99 patients diagnosed with RA, divided into adults and elderly. Those considered adults were 18-59 years-old and those with 60 years or older where considered elderly. In SF-36, the groups showed the pain domain as the most compromised and the emotional aspects domain as the less compromised. Both showed moderate level of disease activity and mild disability. Applying the t test, it was found that there was no significant difference between groups with respect to QoL, functional ability, depression and disease activity. The difference was significant in the 6MWT, in which the elderly achieved an average of 330.8 m, and the adults, 412.2 m (p=0.000). In linear regression, a significant correlation (r=-0.31) between the 6MWT and increasing age was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QoL and functional capacity in RA were affected in adults and the elderly. How-ever, the results showed no significant difference between groups, with the exception of the 6MWT.
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil. Electronic address: izabelaroma@hotmail.com.
authors: Izabela
authors: I
authors: Roma
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors: Mariana Lourenço
authors: ML
authors: de Almeida
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors: Naira da Silva
authors: Nda S
authors: Mansano
authors: Departamento de Radioterapia e Oncologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors: Gustavo Arruda
authors: GA
authors: Viani
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors: Marcos Renato
authors: MR
authors: de Assis
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil; Hospital das Clínicas de Marília, Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors: Pedro Marco Karan
authors: PM
authors: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Artrite reumatoide; Elderly; Idoso; Qualidade de vida; Quality of life; Rheumatoid arthritis