Risk factors for readmission of rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving integrative medicine: A retrospective analysis

Effects of laser acupuncture tele-therapy for rheumatoid arthritis elderly patients

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive common autoimmune disorder and is one of the most functional limiting diseases in elderly. Until recently, its treatment is mainly based on physical locations and meetings while being face to face. However, laser acupuncture tele-therapy approaches can significantly provide the patient with safety during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as changing the disorder’s prognosis. Sixty patients were assigned randomly into 2 groups with 1:1 ratio. Patients in group A are treated remotely by laser acupuncture in addition to methotrexate and a tele-rehabilitation program in the form of aerobic exercise training. Patients in group B are treated by methotrexate and a tele-rehabilitation program in the form of aerobic exercise. There was a statistically significant difference in health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) pre- and post-treatment in group A (p < 0.05). The C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inflammatory markers as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) oxidative marker showed a significant reduction pre- and post-treatment in group A (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) antioxidant marker pre- and post-treatment in group A (p < 0.05). The comparison between groups A and B showed a statistically significant post-treatment difference in RAQoL, CRP, IL-6, ATP, and MDA in group A than group B. Considering the significant improvement that was found in the laser acupuncture group, it can be concluded that the use of laser acupuncture as adjunctive was effective in the treatment of elderly patients with RA. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04758689

Association between rainfall and readmissions of rheumatoid arthritis patients: a time-stratified case-crossover analysis

It has been reported that local weather is associated with the symptoms of joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and many people believe their pain becomes worse when facing rainy days. However, limited studies explored the effects of weather on RA patients' healthcare-seeking behavior. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between rainfall and readmission behavior of patients with RA in Hefei, China, based on hospitalization data from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from May 2012 to June 2016 and weather data from National Meteorological Information Center during the same study period. Using a time-stratified case-crossover study design and conditional logistic regression, we found a negative association between current day rainfall and readmission (unadjusted: OR = 0.82, p < 0.05; adjusted: OR = 0.83, p < 0.1), which is contrary to our common belief. In lagged models, we observed that rainfall was significantly and positively associated with readmissions at lag 6 days (unadjusted: OR = 1.12, p < 0.1; adjusted: OR = 1.17, p < 0.05) and lag 7 days (unadjusted: OR = 1.13, p < 0.05; adjusted: OR = 1.21, p < 0.01). Additionally, stratified analyses showed the unanticipated finding was only statistically significant for younger patients (< 65 years) and females. Our study adds new evidence that the association between the healthcare-seeking behavior of patients with RA and local rainfall may be different, compared with the positive relationship between symptoms of joint pain and rainfall.