Predictive clinical factors in rheumatoid arthritis using disease activity and functional score

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis that may lead to severe joint pain. There are several scores to evaluate the disease activity of RA. This study aimed to evaluate if clinical factors which representing activity scores and health assessment score. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted prospectively by including adult patients with RA. Clinical factors and 5 RA disease activity and health assessment scores were evaluated. Each activity score was executed for clinical predictors by using multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 33 female adult patients in the study. The average (SD) age was 52.33 (11.11) years, while the duration of RA was 7.65 years. The DAS28 ESR had 1 predictor: RA duration with a coefficient of –0.04. For DAS28 CRP, CDAI, and SDAI scores, body mass index (BMI) and RA duration were independent factors for the scores with negative coefficient values. For the HAQ score, both age and rheumatoid duration were positively associated with the score. The coefficients of both factors were 0.02 and 0.03, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Age, RA duration, and BMI were associated with RA activity and functional score. Body mass index is a potential modifiable factor that may be associated with RA activities.