engleski

Effi cacy of biologic treatment on quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Croatia: results from a non-interventional, multicenter, crosssectional study to estimate disease activity and treatment patterns in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Achieving optimal QoL is the ultimate goal of any therapeutic intervention, including biologic therapy, in patients with RA. Objectives: To assess the effi cacy of biologic therapy on QoL in RA patients in Croatia. Methods: Th ere were 130 patients included (19 men, 111 women) with established diagnosis of RA based on 1984 ACR criteria. Patients were consequently selected from eight rheumatology centers across Croatia. Practising rheumatologist collected demographic information, information about medications (both conventional and biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs). DAS28 was used to assess disease activity. All the patients fi lled SF-12 questionnaire, as a measure of QoL Results: Th e age of patients was 56, 4 +/– 11, 22 years. In our cohort, 102 patients were taking cDMARDs while 28 patients were on bDMARDs. Mean DAS28 score was 3.4 +/– 1, 51. Th e QoL was assessed using SF-12 questionnaire subscores. For Q1 about general health, 48.5% patients stated it was very good or good, 37.7% fair health and 13.8% stated to have poor health. For Qs 2A and 2B approximately 50% of patients stated they were limited a little in performing while 20–25% were limited a lot. For Qs 3A and 3B (patient’s physical life). most of patients answered that they accomplished less than expected some of the time (41.9%) and they were limited in work/ activites some of the time (39.8%). As for patient’s emotional life (Qs 4A and 4B), most of them answered that they accomplished less than expected some of the time (36.4%) and they were limited in work/activites some of the time (40.9%). For Q5 (interference of pain on patient’s normal work), 34.4% patients stated that it aff ected their work quite a bit. Qs 6A-6C (patients mental state as well as well-being), 32.6% patients stated they were peaceful and calm some of the time, while 41.9% answered most of the time. As for having a lot of energy, 65.9% of them answered they stated they had most of the time or some of the time. 65.3% patients stated they felt depressed a little bit of time or some of the time. Q7 (social activities), 66.6% stated that physical health or emotional problems aff ected their social activites some of the time or a little of the time. Conclusions: In our group of patients with RA, treatment with both cDMARDs and bDMARDs improved QoL in some of SF-12 subscores.

rheumatoid arthritis ; DMARDs ; quality of life

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