title: Quality of life and functional capacity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the Health related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and physical function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compare it with the general population. We also intended to analyze about disease activity influence in HRQoL and functional capacity, as well as determine potential determinants for these outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in RA patients from a university hospital of Portugal. We obtained Short Form 36, EuroQoL 5D, health assessment questionnaire, visual analog scale for pain and patient's assessment of disease activity. Comparisons between SF-36 and EQ-5D values with our population reference values were conducted using the Mann-Whitney test. Data were compared in different levels of disease activity, using Kruskal Wallis test and Fisher's exact test. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the potential determinants of outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RA sample showed significantly lower values than the portuguese general population on physical summary measure of SF-36 (median=32 vs. 50, p<0.001) and EQ-5D (median=0.620 vs. 0.758 respectively; p<0.001). Lower disease activity levels had better PROs and this was true even when compared patients achieving remission with those in low disease activity. The HAQ (r2=67%), VAS-P (r2=62%) and VAS-DA (r2=58%) were the variables that strongly related to SF-36. Considering HAQ, the strongest relation was found with VAS-P, VAS-DA and age (r2=60%, 61% and 33%, respectively). Multiple regression analysis identified HAQ, VAS-P and educational status as determinants of the HRQoL; age, female gender, employment, VAS-P and VAS-DA as determinants of physical function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impairment of HRQoL in RA patients is enormous. We found significant differences between different levels of disease activity, showing higher HRQoL and functional capacity at lower disease activity levels.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department of Centro Hospitalar São João (CHSJ), Oporto, Portugal. Electronic address: di9_goncalves@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosa-Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department of Centro Hospitalar São João (CHSJ), Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department of Centro Hospitalar São João (CHSJ), Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lúcia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents
keywords: Artritis reumatoide; Capacidad funcional; Functional capacity; HAQ; Quality of life; Rheumatoid arthritis; SF-36