[Quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients].

AIM

To study quality of life (QL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Questionnaire survey (MCA, BIPQ, AIMS, MHAQ) covered 190 RA patients (mean age 47.7 +/- 1.4 years). Many of them were group II invalids. All the patients had slow-progressive polyarthritis, articular and seronegative RA prevailed. Most of the patients had articular and seronegative RA with first-degree activity, x-ray stage II and third-degree deficiency of the articular function.

RESULTS

It is shown that RA patients have subnormal quality of life. Its deterioration was related to clinical parameters: duration of the disease and its activity, invalidity, X-ray stage, articular and locomotor functions, psychological status. Hypochondriac, apathical and neurastenic reactions to the disease occurred most frequently. Euphoric reaction to the disease was a positive factor for QL. Changes in social status were essential for QL in RA patients.

CONCLUSION

QL is an integral indicator of health status in RA patients. It can be estimated basing on only one questionnaire--AIMS as it includes all the necessary components.