Disease Activity, Functional Ability and Nutritional Status in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Observational Study in Greece

AIM: The aim of the present pilot study was to assess differences in the nutritional status, Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, and functional ability among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to disease activity. METHODS: A total of 48 patients with RA, outpatients of a hospital in Athens, Greece were recruited. Disease activity was evaluated with DAS28, functional status with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), MD adherence with the MedDietScore and malnutrition with the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA). RESULTS: A relationship was noted between DAS28 and HAQ, indicating a reduced functional status with increased RA activity. Although MD adherence differed between DAS28 categories, no specific differences were noted in the PG-SGA or the MedDietScore in the post-hoc analyses. According to the PG-SGA, no need for nutritional intervention was noted among participants. CONCLUSIONS: The origin of the participants might have reduced the differences between MD adherence and DAS28. In parallel, the PG-SGA does not appear sensitive in detecting muscle-related malnutrition among patients with RA.