These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Health-related quality of life in early rheumatoid arthritis: impact of disease and treatment response.
    Author: Kosinski M, Kujawski SC, Martin R, Wanke LA, Buatti MC, Ware JE, Perfetto EM.
    Journal: Am J Manag Care; 2002 Mar; 8(3):231-40. PubMed ID: 11915973.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: To document the burden of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on health-related quality of life (HQL) and compare changes in HQL across 2 treatments. STUDY DESIGN: Analysis of HQL scores among patients enrolled in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized control trial of early RA treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 424 patients with early RA were randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups: etanercept or methotrexate. Patients were treated and followed for 52 weeks. Health-related quality of life was assessed before and throughout treatment using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The HQL burden of RA was established by comparing SF-36 scale scores to general US population norms. The impact of treatment on HQL was determined by comparing scores on both SF-36 and HAQ scales. RESULTS: Before treatment, RA patients showed significant decrements in scores on all SF-36 scales and summary measures in comparison with age- and sex-matched general US population norms, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) F(8,2815) = 204.6, P < .0001. After 52 weeks of treatment, 7 of 8 SF-36 scales and the physical summary measure remained significantly below the general US population norm, MANOVA F(8,2815) = 41.9, P < .0001. Patients randomized to etanercept showed significantly better HQL improvement earlier in treatment than patients randomized to methotrexate on the SF-36 physical summary, MANOVA F(10,4230) = 6.1, P< .0001, the SF-36 arthritis-specific health index, MANOVA F(10,4230) = 8.5, P < .0001, and the HAQ, MANOVA F(10,4230) = 14.7, P < .0001. At 52 weeks, there were no significant differences between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Rheumatoid arthritis places tremendous disease burden on patients' HQL. Successful treatment of early RA improved HQL. Etanercept showed a rapid HQL response.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]