Rheumatology Department, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Varlık Mahallesi, Soğuksu, Antalya, Turkey.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 Mar;31(3):377-85. doi: 10.1007/s00296-009-1279-7. Epub 2009 Dec 18.
It is believed that there is an association between the weather and rheumatic symptoms. We aimed to investigate what kind of association is present and what are the factors which determine the nature of this association. Fifty-six subjects with rheumatic disease (31 RA, 15 SpA, 10 OA) who live in Antalya were followed between December 2005 and July 2006. Patients were asked to fill diaries which contain questions regarding the symptoms of their rheumatic diseases everyday. In every monthly visit, disease activity measurement, laboratory assessment and Beck depression inventory assessment were recorded. The symptomatic and psychological measurements were matched with the meteorological data of Antalya Regional Directorate of Meteorological Service of Turkish State. Correlation of symptoms with weather variables was investigated. Contributory effect of weather and of psychologic factors on symptom scores were evaluated by stepwise multiple regression analysis. Eighty-four percent of subjects belive in an association between weather and rheumatism, while 57% claimed to have ability to forecast weather. The maximum correlation coefficient between weather and arthritis symptoms was -0.451 and the maximum contribution of weather on symptoms was 17.1%. Arthritis symptoms were significantly contributed by Beck depression score. The belief about presence of weather-arthritis association was found to be stronger than its statistical power. Our results did not prove or rule out the presence of weather-rheumatism association. As long as the scientific attempts result in failure, the intuitive support in favour of the presence of weather-arthritis association will go on forever.
人们相信天气与风湿症状之间存在关联。我们旨在调查存在何种关联，以及哪些因素决定了这种关联的性质。2005 年 12 月至 2006 年 7 月期间，我们对居住在安塔利亚的 56 名风湿性疾病患者（31 名类风湿关节炎患者、15 名脊柱关节炎患者、10 名骨关节炎患者）进行了随访。患者被要求每天填写包含风湿性疾病症状问题的日记。在每次每月就诊时，记录疾病活动度测量、实验室评估和贝克抑郁量表评估。将症状和心理测量结果与土耳其国家气象局安塔利亚地区分局的气象数据进行匹配。调查症状与气象变量之间的相关性。通过逐步多元回归分析评估天气和心理因素对症状评分的影响。84%的患者认为天气与风湿病之间存在关联，而 57%的患者声称自己有预测天气的能力。天气与关节炎症状之间的最大相关系数为-0.451，天气对症状的最大贡献为 17.1%。关节炎症状与贝克抑郁评分显著相关。存在天气-关节炎关联的信念比其统计学效力更强。我们的结果既没有证明也没有排除天气与风湿病之间存在关联。只要科学尝试失败，支持天气与关节炎之间存在关联的直观证据就会一直存在。
