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Severity of rheumatoid arthritis: the SEVERA study

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Abstract

This study aims to assess the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in rheumatology practice in our population. All outpatients and inpatients with RA seen by registered rheumatologists over a 1-year period were included. Severity was measured using the Larsen score for hands and wrists and the Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (M-HAQ). Two hundred ninety-eight RA cases were included. Mean age was 51.5 years. Among them, 261 (87.6%) were females. Disease duration was less than a year in 26 subjects (8.7%) and 10 years and above in 108 (36.2%) with a mean of 8.9. There were 220 (73.8%) subjects who had M-HAQ score <1. In 61 (20.5%) subjects, M-HAQ score was ≥1 and <2, and 17 (5.7%) had M- HAQ score ≥2. In relation with disease duration, M-HAQ starts with an average (SD) value of 0.7 (0.6) during the first year, decreases to 0.4 (0.4) at 5-year disease duration and increases after 10 years of disease progression to an average of 0.9 (0.8). Mean (SD) Larsen score was 51.9 (29.5) and median was 45. A total of 25% had a Larsen score ≥50% of maximum. Larsen score increased significantly (p<0.0001) with disease duration, starting at an average (SD) of 36.1 (14.9) during the first year, rising to 42.5 (15.8) around 5 years and reaching 73.9 (36.9) after 10 years. RA severity in our practice is comparable to that reported in Western populations in terms of radiological damage; however, functional status differs, possibly reflecting cultural differences.

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Acknowledgements

Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Lebanese Epidemiological Association, Lebanese Society of Rheumatology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Department, Hotel-Dieu Hospital, St Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Rafic Baddoura, Hassane Awada & Jad Okais

  2. Radiology Department, Hotel-Dieu Hospital, St Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Souha Haddad

  3. Rheumatology Department, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Abdel Fattah Al-Masri

  4. Rheumatology Department, Notre-Dame de Secours Hospital, Byblos, Lebanon

    Georges Merheb

  5. Rheumatology Department, Lebanese Govermental Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Said Attoui

  6. Rheumatology Private Clinic, Tripoli, Lebanon

    Jamil Messayke

  7. Rheumatology Private Clinic, Nabatieh, Lebanon

    Fadi Ghandour

Authors
  1. Rafic Baddoura
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  2. Souha Haddad
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  3. Hassane Awada
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  4. Abdel Fattah Al-Masri
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Correspondence to Rafic Baddoura.

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Baddoura, R., Haddad, S., Awada, H. et al. Severity of rheumatoid arthritis: the SEVERA study. Clin Rheumatol 25, 700–704 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-005-0136-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-005-0136-7

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