Sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis: relationship between the disease severity, depression, functional status and the quality of life

A concept elicitation study to understand the relationship between sleep and pain in rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis

PURPOSE

This qualitative study (GSK study: 213635) was designed to better understand sleep disturbance as experienced by individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), and the relationship between sleep disturbance and pain and other aspects of the disease and disease activity.

METHODS

Sixty-minute, one-on-one, concept elicitation interviews were conducted with 30 participants (15 with RA and 15 with axSpA) from the US. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed to explore themes related to pain and sleep disturbance, and relationships among those themes.

RESULTS

Pain was a prominent driver of sleep disturbance; 12 participants with RA (80%) and 14 with axSpA (93%) reported that pain impacted their ability to fall asleep, while all 15 with RA (100%) and 14 with axSpA (93%) reported that pain impacted their ability to stay asleep. Two-thirds of participants with RA (67%) or axSpA (60%) described a bi-directional relationship, whereby pain worsened sleep disturbance and sleep disturbance further aggravated pain. Factors other than pain, such as fatigue and emotional health, were also reported as important contributors to sleep disturbance (RA: n = 12/15, 80%; axSpA: n = 14/15, 93%). Participants with RA or axSpA described complex interconnections between fatigue, emotional health, pain, and sleep, often labeling these relationships as "vicious cycles". Notably, half of all participants reported sleep disturbance occurring without pain or other understood causes.

CONCLUSION

These perspectives collected from people with RA or axSpA suggest that reducing sleep disruption directly may offer clinically relevant benefits.

The effect of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on sleep and quality of life in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective

The sleep quality is worse in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in healthy controls and it is more difficult to achieve a satisfactory quality of life after treatment with age. Our aim is to assess the quality of life and sleep in elderly onset RA patients and to analyze the effect of disease-modifying agents on sleep and quality of life.

Methods

Thirty-four older patients with RA patients and 30 healthy controls are included in the study. Sleep quality was evaluated with the Pittsburg sleep quality index and quality of life with Short Form-36. Parametric/non-parametric tests and Spearman/Pearson correlation analysis were applied for the data according to the distribution.

Results

While the rate of poor sleep quality before treatment was 67.6%, the rate was 26.5% after treatment. There was a statistically significant difference before and after treatment in terms of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and scores for sleep disturbance. The mean steroid dose and Disease Activity Score-28 were higher in patients with poor sleep quality than in patients with good sleep quality. Patients with poor sleep quality had lower mean physical function, pain, general health, social function, emotional role difficulties, and energy/vitality values than patients with good sleep quality.

Conclusion

Both sleep and quality of life improved after treatment in older patients with RA patients. In older patients, it should be regularly evaluated in terms of sleep and quality of life and appropriate treatment should be provided.

Depression in Saudi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Purpose

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, little is known about its prevalence and risk factors among Saudi patients, specifically. Therefore, this study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression in patients with RA in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with patients registered at the Saudi Charitable Association for Rheumatic Diseases. Inclusion criteria were that the patients either met the American College of Rheumatology 1987 revised criteria for the classification of RA or the 2010 RA classification criteria. Demographic data and clinical variables were collected, and Beck's 21-item Depression Inventory was used to assess for depression.

Results

Of the 210 participants with RA, 171 were women (81.4%), and 39 were men (18.6%). The prevalence of depression was 68%. There were significant relationships between age, gender, marital status, and having depression. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was positive in 144 participants (68.6%), which positively correlated with the risk of having depression (P value < 0.001). Moreover, depression severity correlated with age, gender, marital status, RF positivity, and prolonged disease duration.

Conclusion

Based on the results, depression is highly prevalent in Saudi patients with RA, especially those with positive RF and those who are female, middle-aged, and divorced. Early detection and treatment of depression in patients with RA is highly recommended to improve their quality of life and avoid unfavorable effects on RA clinical progression.

Sleep quality and its associations with disease activity and quality of life in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis

PURPOSE

Sleep disturbance is among the most important geriatric syndromes, and its evaluation is part of the routine comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Previous studies have demonstrated that older patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have poorer sleep quality than younger control patients. However, there needs to be more data on the sleep quality of older patients with RA with age-matched controls.

METHODS

Totally 100 participants, 50 older RA patients classified according to the ACR criteria, and 50 age- and gender-matched control patients without RA were included in the study. All patients underwent CGA, including assessing their functionality, depressive, cognitive, and nutritional status. In addition, sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and RA disease activity by a rheumatologist using the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28-CRP), and quality of life with the RA QoL questionnaire (RAQoL).

RESULTS

The median age was 70 years (min-max: 65-86), and 62.5% were female. Co-morbidities and comprehensive geriatric assessment parameters were similar between the two groups. Median PSQI global score was higher in patients with RA than controls [9 (min-max: 1-20) vs. 5 (min-max: 1-13), p = 0.029). When the patients were categorized with respect to being 'poor sleepers' (PSQI score > 5), 62% of patients with RA and 38% of controls were poor sleepers (p = 0.016). The patients classified as poor sleepers were more likely to have a diagnosis of RA, higher DAS28-CRP and RAQoL scores, lower grip strength, and be a woman. PSQI global scores were significantly positively correlated with DAS28-CRP scores (r = 0.514, p < 0.001), RAQoL scores (r = 0.689, p < 0.001), number of medications used (r = 0.292, p = 0.003), and YDS scores (r = 0.407, p < 0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with handgrip strength (r =  - 0.351, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that older patients with RA might have poorer sleep quality compared to age- and gender-matched controls. Moreover, sleep quality correlated with RA disease activity and QoL in old age.

Systemic complications of rheumatoid arthritis: Focus on pathogenesis and treatment

As a systemic autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually causes damage not only to joints, but also to other tissues and organs including the heart, kidneys, lungs, digestive system, eyes, skin, and nervous system. Excessive complications are closely related to the prognosis of RA patients and even lead to increased mortality. This article summarizes the serious complications of RA, focusing on its incidence, pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment methods, aiming to provide a reference for clinicians to better manage the complications of RA.

Interplay of Environmental, Individual and Genetic Factors in Rheumatoid Arthritis Provocation

In this review, we explore systemization of knowledge about the triggering effects of non-genetic factors in pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Possible mechanisms involving environmental and individual factors in RA pathogenesis were analyzed, namely, infections, mental stress, sleep deprivation ecology, age, perinatal and gender factors, eating habits, obesity and smoking. The non-genetic factors modulate basic processes in the body with the impact of these factors being non-specific, but these common challenges may be decisive for advancement of the disease in the predisposed body at risk for RA. The provocation of this particular disease is associated with the presence of congenital loci minoris resistentia. The more frequent non-genetic factors form tangles of interdependent relationships and, thereby, several interdependent external factors hit one vulnerable basic process at once, either provoking or reinforcing each other. Understanding the specific mechanisms by which environmental and individual factors impact an individual under RA risk in the preclinical stages can contribute to early disease diagnosis and, if the factor is modifiable, might be useful for the prevention or delay of its development.

Association of lifestyle and disease characteristics with self-rated wellness/health score in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective

To study the relationship of self-rated wellness/health and lifestyle in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

Self-rated wellness/health, demographics, smoking, mood, sleep, physical activity, diet, symptoms/signs, body mass index and laboratory findings in 142 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were collected in the current cross-sectional study. Multivariable generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to study the association of self-rated wellness/health score and lifestyle factors.

Results

Female/male ratio was 116/26 and the mean (SD) age of sample was 52 (13) years. Mean (SD) self-rated wellness/health score out of 10 was 7.2 (1.63). Mean (SD) number of tender joints and swollen joints were 4.42 (4.55) and 4.00 (4.26), respectively. The mean sleep score was 29.5 out of 70. Patients went to bed more than one hour earlier during the weekdays compared to weekends (22:45 vs. 23:52 PM, respectively, p < 0.0001). They also woke up more than one hour earlier during the weekdays compared to the weekends (6:08 vs. 7:20 AM, respectively, p < 0.0001). Their nap duration during weekdays was about half an hour shorter than the nap duration on weekends (19.75 vs. 48.02 minutes, respectively, p < 0.0001). The mean mood and diet scores were 18.5/35 and 22.5/42, respectively. By backward elimination in multivariable regression model (GAM), disease duration, mood, sleep quality, weekdays sleep characteristics (sleep duration, time to go to bed, wake-up time, time to fall asleep and nap duration), and sleep duration on weekends remained in the final model (R² = 0.225, p = 0.01). Sleep quality, nap duration on weekdays, night sleep duration on weekends and mood status were the significant variables associated with self-rated wellness/health score.

Conclusion

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the low self-rated wellness/health score was associated with the low sleep quality, long sleep duration on weekends, and long nap duration on weekdays.

Fatigue in inflammatory rheumatic diseases: current knowledge and areas for future research

Fatigue is a complex phenomenon and an important health concern for many people with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, primary Sjögren syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus. Although some clinical trials have shown the benefits of cognitive behavioural therapy in fatigue management, the effect of this approach is relatively modest, and no curative treatment has been identified. The pathogenesis of fatigue remains unclear. Despite many challenges and limitations, a growing body of research points to roles for the immune system, the central and autonomic nervous systems and the neuroendocrine system in the induction and maintenance of fatigue in chronic diseases. New insights indicate that sleep, genetic susceptibility, metabolic disturbances and other biological and physiological mechanisms contribute to fatigue. Furthermore, understanding of the relationships between psychosocial factors and fatigue is increasing. However, the interrelationships between these diverse mechanisms and fatigue remain poorly defined. In this Review, we outline various biological, physiological and psychosocial determinants of fatigue in inflammatory rheumatic diseases, and propose mechanistic and conceptual models of fatigue to summarize current understanding, stimulate debate and develop further research ideas.

Impact of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on functional disability and health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder, which has a significant impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and limits physical function as well as increases pain and fatigue. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL and functional disability profile of patients with RA in Palestine to determine the socio-demographic and clinical features associated with low HRQoL and functional disability in patients with RA and to investigate the impact of drugs used on functional disability and HRQoL.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional, observational study conducted at rheumatology clinics in Northern West-Bank, Palestine (Alwatani Hospital-Nablus, Khalil Suleiman Hospital-Jenin, Thabet Thatbet Hospital-Tulkarem, and Darweesh Nazzal Hospital-Qalqilia). EuroQoL-5 Dimension scale (EQ-5D-5L) was used to evaluate HRQoL, Health Assessment Questionnaire, Disability Index (HAQ-DI) to evaluate the functional disability, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire pain visual analog scale (HAQ-VAS) to evaluate pain.

RESULTS

300 patients were included in the study, 229(76.3%) were females, the mean ± standard deviation age was 49 ± 13.10 years, and the median RA duration (lower-upper quartiles) was 6 (4-12) years. The median EQ-5D-5L index value and Euro QOL visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) scores were 0.56 and 60, respectively. There was a significant strong positive correlation (R = 0.773; p < 0.001) between the EQ-5D-5L index values and the reported EQ-VAS scores. The median HAQ-DI and HAQ-VAS were 0.94 and 40, respectively. The results of multiple linear regression showed that treatment with biological DMARD (Etanercept), having work, higher income, absence of night pain, and absence of comorbid diseases were significantly associated with higher EQ-5D-5L index score (better HRQoL) and lower HAQ-DI scores (less disability). On the other hand, older age and the presence of morning stiffness were significantly associated with higher HAQ-DI scores (more disability).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the impact of treatment, clinical variables, and socio-demographic factors on disability and HRQoL in RA patients. Healthcare providers should be aware of the association between treatment with biological DMARD and improved HRQoL and functional status to make early interventions that reduce disability and improve HRQoL in susceptible patients.

Cross-sectional assessment of sleep and fatigue in middle-aged Japanese women with primary Sjogren syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis using self-reports and wrist actigraphy

To investigate fatigue, health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), and sleep quality in women with primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as compared with healthy controls using self-reports and wrist actigraphy.In this cross-sectional observational study, we evaluated a total of 25 patients (aged 40-75 years) with pSS, 10 with RA, and 17 healthy control subjects living in Japan. The HR-QOL was assessed using the Short Form-36. Fatigue was evaluated using the Short Form-36 vitality score, visual analog scale (VAS) for fatigue, and 2 questionnaire items using scores based on a 4-point Likert scale. Sleep quality was measured using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, VAS for sleep quality, and wrist actigraphy for 14 days.Patients with pSS reported severer fatigue and lower HR-QOL than healthy controls, especially in mental health. Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, 56% of the patients with pSS were poor sleepers, which was higher than healthy controls (29.4%). Furthermore, the patients with pSS scored significantly lower on the VAS for sleep quality than healthy controls (40.5 vs 63.7, P = .001). Although subjective assessments revealed slight sleep disturbances in patients with pSS, wrist actigraphy revealed no differences when compared with healthy controls for total sleep time (421.8 minutes vs 426.5 minutes), sleep efficiency (95.2% vs 96.4%), number of awakenings (1.4 vs 0.9), and wake after sleep onset (22.4 minutes vs 16.1 minutes). Poor subjective sleep quality was associated with enhanced fatigue. However, sleep efficiency, as determined by actigraphy, was not associated with fatigue. Notably, the patients with RA and healthy controls did not differ significantly in terms of fatigue or sleep quality, although patients with RA experienced more nocturnal awakenings than healthy controls (1.7 vs 0.9, P = .04).Patients with pSS experience severe fatigue, poor HR-QOL, and sleep disturbances, which are associated with fatigue. However, wrist actigraphy did not reveal differences in sleep quality, suggesting that it may not be an appropriate measure of sleep in patients with pSS.

COVID-19 related poor mental health and sleep disorders in rheumatic patients: a citizen science project

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (RDs) are more vulnerable and the containment measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic might have severe psychological consequences. We investigated the presence of and risk factors associated with poor mental health, sleep disorders among RDs during the pandemic.

METHODS

This cross-sectional Italian citizen science project evaluated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with RDs. Between May and September 2020, eleven RD patients' associations sent the survey by using their mailing list and the related webpage and social network. 507 RD patients completed an ad-hoc anonymous online survey including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R).

RESULTS

The mean scores on the PSS-10 and the IES-R were 18.1 and 29.7, respectively. Higher PSS scores were associated with younger age (p <  0.01), female gender (p <  0.01), overweight/obesity (p = 0.01), psychiatric pharmacotherapy (p <  0.01), and anxiety for loss of income (p <  0.01). Higher IES-R scores were associated with female gender (p <  0.01), intestinal diseases (p = 0.03), anxiety (p <  0.01), and health concern (p <  0.01). Among 375 patients with inflammatory arthritis, 246 (65.6%) had trouble staying asleep, 238 (63.5%) falling asleep, and 112 (29.9%) had dreams about the pandemic. Older age (OR = 1.038, CI 1.002-1.076), psychiatric pharmacotherapy (OR = 25.819, CI 11.465-58.143), and COVID infection (OR = 2.783, CI 1.215-6.372) were predictive of insomnia during the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable COVID-19 related psychosocial burden has been detected in RDs. Different factors were predictive of poor mental health and sleep disorders in these patients. Focused supportive strategies should be implemented to improve the psychological well-being of fragile patients during pandemics.

Sleep disturbances in chronic rheumatic diseases: Is disease activity the major determinant factor?

INTRODUCTION

Sleep disturbances are closely related to chronic pain processes, especially in patients with inflammatory and mechanical joint diseases.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to report sleep characteristics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and knee osteoarthritis also to determine the responsibility of disease activity in the occurrence of sleep disturbances during chronic rheumatic diseases.

METHODS

We conducted a comparative study between two groups of patients: the first with RA, the second with primary knee osteoarthritis. We reported sociodemographic and medical data (clinical and biological inflammatory syndrome data). Then, we assessed depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances with respectively Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS).

RESULTS

Seventy RA patients aged 51.9 years, with an average of 77.1% female were studied. The mean disease duration was 6.9 years. All sleep domains were altered in these patients. Forty patients with knee osteoarthritis aged 57.5 years with an average of 70% female were included. The mean disease duration was 4 years. The most impaired domains in this group were somnolence and sleep disturbance. Multivariate analysis concluded that risk factors independently related to RA were:  disease activity score, functional disability, depression, anxiety, and body mass index. Disease activity score were the only parameter to influence all domains of sleep.

CONCLUSION

So we result that disease activity is a risk factor independently related to sleep disturbances in rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, mood disorders and obesity also deteriorate several sleep domains. These factors must be considered in the management of chronic rheumatic disorders.

Subjective sleep quality and association with depression syndrome, chronic diseases and health-related physical fitness in the middle-aged and elderly

Background

As a complex phenomenon, sleep quality is difficult to objectively define and measure, and multiple factors related to sleep quality, such as age, lifestyle, physical activity, and physical fitness, feature prominently in older adult populations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and to associate sleep quality with health-related physical fitness factors, depressive symptoms, and the number of chronic diseases in the middle-aged and elderly.

Methods

We enrolled a total of 283 middle-aged and elderly participants from a rehabilitation clinic or health examination department. The PSQI was used to evaluate sleep quality. The health-related fitness assessment included anthropometric and physical fitness parameters. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) short form. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used for the analyses.

Results

Overall, 27.9% of participants in this study demonstrated bad sleepers (with a PSQI score of > 5), 10.2% of study participants frequently used sleep medication to help them fall asleep, and 6.0% reported having significant depressive symptoms (with a CES-D score of ≥10). There are two major findings: (1) depression symptoms, the number of chronic diseases, self-rated health, and arthritis were significantly associated with a poor sleep quality, and (2) the 2-min step test was associated with longer sleep latency. These results confirmed that the 2-min step was associated with a longer sleep latency among the health-related physical fitness items.

Conclusions

Our study found that depressive syndrome, chronic disease numbers, a poor self-rated health status, and arthritis were the main risk factors that influenced subjective sleep quality.

A cross-sectional study of sleep and depression in a rheumatoid arthritis population

Objectives

To assess the prevalence of impaired sleep quality and depression in a rheumatoid arthritis population and determine their correlation with Disease Activity Score (DAS) and its components.

Methods

In this single-centre observational cross-sectional study, data was collected by the assessing clinician for DAS28, age and gender in various treatment groups according to use of csDMARDs, biologics and long-term steroids. Presence of impaired sleep quality and depression was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Public Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9). Correlation for DAS and its components with the outcomes was determined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression.

Results

Two hundred patients were included. The prevalence across all subgroups of poor sleep quality and depression were 86.5% and 30%, respectively, with a correlation coefficient of 0.69 between the two and poor sleep quality amongst all RA patients with comorbid depression. Multivariate analysis found only subjective DAS components, tender joint count (TJC) and patient global health visual analogue score (VAS) to significantly correlate with both outcomes. Age inversely correlated with depression. Long-term steroid use was associated with poorer sleep quality, but there was no significant effect of csDMARDs or biologics. There was no significant difference in prevalence of depression amongst treatment subgroups.

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality and to a lesser extent depression are prevalent in the general rheumatoid arthritis population. Patients would benefit from clinicians measuring these outcomes routinely as they constitute a significant non-inflammatory burden of living with rheumatoid disease.

Key Points • Subjective components of DAS independently correlate with sleep quality and depression, while objective components do not. • Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent in RA and present in all those with comorbid depression. • Poor sleep quality and depression incidence in RA are much lower when DAS is low or remission.

Predictors of sleep quality among university students: the use of advanced machine learning techniques

PURPOSE

To assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances among university students and investigate potential correlated factors and their relative importance in quantifying sleep quality using advanced machine learning techniques.

METHODS

A total of 1600 university students participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic information was collected, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to assess sleep quality among university students. Study variables were evaluated using logistic regression and advanced machine learning techniques. Study variables that were significant in the logistic regression and had high mean decrease in model accuracy in the machine learning technique were considered important predictors of sleep quality.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of the sample was 26.65 (6.38) and 57% of them were females. The prevalence of poor sleep quality in our sample was 70%. The most accurate and balanced predictive model was the random forest model with a 74% accuracy and a 95% specificity. Age and number of cups of tea per day were identified as protective factors for a better sleep quality, while electronics usage hours, headache, other systematic diseases, and neck pain were found risk factors for poor sleep quality.

CONCLUSIONS

Six predictors of poor sleep quality were identified in university students in which 2 of them were protective and 3 were risk factors. The results of this study can be used to promote health and well-being in university students, improve their academic performance, and assist in developing appropriate interventions.

A cross-sectional study of association of serostatus and extra-articular manifestations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a teaching hospital

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which mistakenly attacks the joints and induces the inflammatory changes that thicken the joints (the synovium) resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints. It causes pain, joint deformity, and also affects the quality of life. The joint is affected symmetrically. It also can affect body systems, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory systems, or other systems, which manifest as extra-articular manifestations. Extra-articular manifestations of RA are documented less in India hence this study was undertaken to correlate RA with extra-articular manifestations as well as its relationship with serostatus in patients with extra-articular manifestations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients (age between 18-60 years) attending Medicine/Rheumatology outpatient department were included in the study (12 months) who fulfilled the 2010 RA classification criteria laid down by American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) for RA. All the subjects underwent a thorough history, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations. The relevant data were analyzed with appropriate statistical methods after 12 months' duration.

RESULTS

Nearly 68.33% of the subjects were found to have extra-articular manifestations mostly in the age group of 31-40 years with prevalence higher in the female. In the seropositive patients, early morning stiffness (EMS) constitutes 63.82% of the total extra-articular manifestations in the patients followed by anemia (38.29%) and peripheral neuropathy (34.04%). On the other hand, in the seronegative cases, EMS (61.53%) followed by anemia (23.07), peripheral neuropathy (15.38%), and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (15.38%). Extra-articular manifestations in seropositive patients have a statistically significant relationship with the increase in the duration of the disease.

CONCLUSION

Extra-articular manifestations need to be looked carefully as it is associated with more severe disease. Seropositivity and extra-articular manifestations both usually indicate that the RA is more severe and may affect the quality of life.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: protocol for the randomised, single-blinded, parallel-group Sleep-RA trial

BACKGROUND

More than half of patients with rheumatoid arthritis complain of insomnia, which is predominantly treated with hypnotic drugs. However, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is recommended as the first-line treatment in international guidelines on sleep. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis suffer from debilitating symptoms, such as fatigue and pain, which can also be linked to sleep disturbance. It remains to be determined whether cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can be effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the Sleep-RA trial is to investigate the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on sleep and disease-related symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The primary objective is to compare the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia relative to usual care on changes in sleep efficiency from baseline to week 7 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The key secondary objectives are to compare the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia relative to usual care on changes in sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, insomnia, sleep quality, fatigue, impact of rheumatoid arthritis and depressive symptoms from baseline to week 26 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

The Sleep-RA trial is a randomised controlled trial with a two-group parallel design. Sixty patients with rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia and low-to-moderate disease activity will be allocated 1:1 to treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or usual care. Patients in the intervention group will receive nurse-led, group-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia once a week for 6 weeks. Outcome assessments will be carried out at baseline, after treatment (week 7) and at follow-up (week 26).

DISCUSSION

Data on treatment of insomnia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are sparse. The Sleep-RA trial is the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Because symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and insomnia have many similarities, we also find it relevant to investigate the secondary effects of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on fatigue, impact of rheumatoid arthritis, depressive symptoms, pain, functional status, health-related quality of life and disease activity. If we find cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia to be effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis this will add weight to the argument that evidence-based non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia in rheumatological outpatient clinics is eligible in accordance with the existing international guidelines on sleep.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03766100. Registered on 30 November 2018.

Effects of upadacitinib on patient-reported outcomes: results from SELECT-BEYOND, a phase 3 randomized trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate responses to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are important when evaluating treatment benefits in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We compared upadacitinib, an oral, selective JAK-1 inhibitor, with placebo to assess clinically meaningful improvements in PROs in patients with RA who have had inadequate responses to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD-IR).

METHODS

PRO responses between upadacitinib 15 mg or 30 mg and placebo were evaluated at week 12 from the SELECT-BEYOND trial. Improvement was determined by measuring Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PtGA), pain, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), duration and severity of morning (AM) stiffness, and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Least squares mean changes and percentage of patients reporting improvements ≥ minimum clinically important differences (MCID) and scores greater than or equal to normative values were determined. The number needed to treat (NNT) to achieve clinically meaningful improvements was calculated.

RESULTS

In 498 patients, both upadacitinib doses resulted in statistically significant changes from baseline versus placebo in PtGA, pain, HAQ-DI, SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS), 7 of 8 SF-36 domains (15 mg), 6 of 8 SF-36 domains (30 mg), and AM stiffness duration and severity. Compared with placebo, more upadacitinib-treated patients reported improvements ≥ MCID in PtGA, pain, HAQ-DI, SF-36 PCS, 7 of 8 SF-36 domains (15 mg), 5 of 8 SF-36 domains (30 mg), AM stiffness duration and severity, and ISI (30 mg) and scores ≥ normative values in HAQ-DI and SF-36 domains. Across most PROs, NNTs to achieve MCID with upadacitinib ranged from 4 to 7 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In bDMARD-IR RA patients, upadacitinib (15 mg or 30 mg) improved multiple aspects of quality of life, and more patients reached clinically meaningful improvements approaching normative values compared with placebo.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02706847), registered 6 March 2016.

Prevalence, and social and health correlates of insomnia among persons 15 years and older in South Africa

The study aims to investigate the prevalence, and social and health correlates of insomnia symptoms in a national population sample in South Africa. Data were analysed from the cross-sectional ‘South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1)’ 2012, using a sample of 15,133 individuals (mean age = 36.9, SD = 16.5). Measures included information on insomnia, sociodemographics, health status, health risk behaviour, and mental health. Results indicate that the overall prevalence of insomnia symptoms was 7.1%, with 3.5% among 15- to 24-year-olds and 20.5% among 65 years and older participants. In the adjusted logistic regression analysis, poorer health status (self-rated health, functional disability and cognitive impairment), having bodily pain, having experienced three or more traumatic events, and having psychological distress and partial Posttraumatic Stress Disorder were positively associated with insomnia. A significant proportion of South Africans have insomnia symptoms and several risk factors were identified that can help in guiding interventions.

Sleep Quality in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Associations with Pain, Disability, Disease Duration, and Activity

We aimed to assess the subjective sleep quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its correlation with disease activity, pain, inflammatory parameters, and functional disability. In a cross-sectional study, patients with confirmed RA diagnosis responded to a questionnaire (consisting of socio-demographic data, the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index, and the Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale). Disease activity was assessed with the Clinical Disease Activity Index, and pain levels using the visual analogue scale. In addition, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) were analyzed. Ninety-five patients were analyzed, predominantly female, with an average age of 50.59 (9.61) years. Fifty-seven percent reported non-optimal sleep duration, where functional disability (92.7% vs. 69.8%; p = 0.006) and higher median pain levels (3.75 (2.3–6.0) vs. 2.5 (2.0–3.5); p = 0.003) were also more prevalent. No differences in sociodemographic variables, disease duration or activity, inflammatory parameters, or use of biological and corticosteroid therapy were observed. The multivariate regression analysis showed that more intense pain was associated with a lower likelihood of optimal sleep (odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.98, p = 0.038). Patients with RA report a high prevalence of non-optimal sleep, which is linked to pain level. Clinicians need to be aware of this issue and the potential effects on health and functional status.

Sleep Quality Independently Affects Health-related Quality of Life and Cognitive Function in Korean Female Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Case-control Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to address sleep quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine how it affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cognitive function.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-three patients with RA and 76 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Sleep quality was assessed using the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cognitive function and HRQoL was evaluated by a Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Other clinical, demographic, and laboratory data were obtained from retrospective medical chart review.

RESULTS

More patients in the RA group reported poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) than in the control group (61% [75/123] vs. 39.5% [30/76]; P = 0.003). Total PSQI was also significantly higher in the RA group (median [interquartile range], 7 [5-11] vs. 5 [3-6.75]; P = 0.001). Total PSQI score negatively correlated with MoCA-K score (Spearman's rho (r) = -0.223; P = 0.003) with a physical component summary (PCS) of SF-36 (r = -0.221; P = 0.003) and a mental component summary (MCS) of SF-36 (r = -0.341; P < 0.001), which means that poor sleep quality was associated with poor cognitive function and low HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that poor sleep quality is an independent risk factor for low HRQoL and cognitive dysfunction. Efforts to improve the sleep quality of RA patients seem to be an important aspect of integrative treatment for RA.

The role of demographic and clinical variables in assessing the quality of life of outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to assess quality of life among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated as outpatients. The specific question was: does the quality of life of RA patients depend on demographic variables and clinical variables?

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 240 patients with RA recruited from outpatients. To assess quality of life, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 was applied. Clinical tests: VAS, Morning Stiffness, Grip Strength, Richie Articular Index.

RESULTS

The analysis of life quality for the total group was carried out in the particular AIMS2 of the mean scores for arthritis pain - 7.37; walking and bending - 6.62; social activity - 5.52; level of tension - 5.17; satisfaction - 5.17; hand and finger function - 4.28; mood - 4.03; physical activity - 3.27; arm function - 3.16; household tasks - 2.67; self-care - 2.18; and support from family and friends - 1.75. The arthritis impact score was 6.01. The analysis of the correlation between clinical variables and individual AIMS2 subscales showed a statistically significant relationship between the VAS Pain, Grip Strength Measurement, Morning Stiffness and quality of life subscales (p < 0.01). VAS Pain, Morning Stiffness, and Grip Strength Measurement were the most important predictors among clinical variables of physical component, affect and symptoms (p < 0.001). Among demographic variables: age over 60 years and low education were the most important predictors of physical component (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The study results may be helpful for further health-related studies on quality of life among RA studies and in making therapeutic decisions concerning quality of life improvement.

Sleep disorders associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Immune disorders impair sleep quality and sleep disorders (SDs) may derange immune function.

PURPOSE

The study evaluated the incidence and risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with SDs using a nationwide cohort.

METHODS

We recognized the patients with SDs from 1998 to 2002 by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. One control patient for each SD patient was randomly selected and matched based on the proportion of age, sex, and index year. We calculated the person years of follow-up for each participant from the index date to RA diagnosis, censoring, or until December 31, 2011. The risk of RA was estimated by using Cox models incorporating demographics and comorbidities.

RESULTS

We enrolled 65,754 patients with SDs and 65,753 controls and followed for 637,906 and 662,514 person-years, respectively. The patients with SDs exhibited a 1.49-fold greater risk of RA development compared with the comparison cohort when we adjusted for covariates. The patients with sleep apnea (SA) showed the greatest incidence density rate of RA, followed by those with non-apnea SDs and the non-SD cohort (4.11, 3.29, and 2.15 per 10,000 person-years, respectively). The SA cohort had a 2.56-fold adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of RA (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11-5.91) and the non-apnea SD cohort had a 1.47-fold aHR of RA (95% CI = 1.18-1.84) compared with the non-SD cohort. Women with SDs presented a considerable risk of developing RA.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide cohort study indicates that SDs are associated with the risk of RA development.

Quality of life, sleep and rheumatoid arthritis (QUASAR): a protocol for a prospective UK mHealth study to investigate the relationship between sleep and quality of life in adults with rheumatoid arthritis

INTRODUCTION

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently report reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the impact one's health has on physical, emotional and social well-being. There are likely numerous causes for poor HRQoL, but people with RA have identified sleep disturbances as a key contributor to their well-being. This study will identify sleep/wake rhythm-associated parameters that predict HRQoL in patients with RA.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This prospective cohort study will recruit 350 people with RA, aged 18 years or older. Following completion of a paper-based baseline questionnaire, participants will record data on 10 symptoms including pain, fatigue and mood two times a day for 30 days using a study-specific mobile application (app). A triaxial accelerometer will continuously record daytime activity and estimate evening sleep parameters over the 30 days. Every 10 days following study initiation, participants will complete a questionnaire that measures disease specific (Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2-Short Form (AIMS2-SF)) and generic (WHOQOL-BREF) quality of life. A final questionnaire will be completed at 60 days after entering the study. The primary outcomes are the AIMS2-SF and WHOQOL-BREF. Structural equation modelling and latent trajectory models will be used to examine the relationship between sleep/wake rhythm-associated parameters and HRQoL, over time.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Results from this study will be disseminated at regional and international conferences, in peer-reviewed journals and Patient and Public Engagement events, as appropriate.

The Validity and Reliability of Turkish Version of the Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Scale in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives

This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Scale (JSS) when applied to a Turkish population with rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients and methods

The Turkish version of JSS (JSS-TR) was obtained after translation from English into Turkish, according to standard guidelines. The study included 61 patients of rheumatoid arthritis (13 males, 48 females; mean age 50.5 years; range 19 to 72 years) as defined by the American College of Rheumatology 2010 criteria. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was assessed for reliability. Content and construct validity (convergent and divergent validities) were evaluated. The relationships between the JSS-TR and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue scale, subgroups of the Nottingham Health Profile, and the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire were assessed for convergent validity. In addition, the relationships between the JSS-TR and age, disease duration, visual analog scale patient global score, and disease activity score 28 were assessed for divergent validity.

Results

The Cronbach's alpha of JSS-TR was 0.80. All questions and the answer choices for the scale were understood well and related to some dimension of sleep demonstrating good content validity. The JSS-TR had good correlations with functional parameters (which are convergent), and poor or insignificant correlations with non-functional parameters (which are divergent). This implies that the JSS-TR had good construct validity in the context of this study. Overall, the JSS-TR had the best correlation with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient=0.76).

Conclusion

The JSS-TR is a valid and reliable instrument. It is a simple and effective tool which can be used to evaluate sleep disturbances in rheumatoid arthritis patients in both daily practice and clinical research.

Fatigue and sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis patients during hospital admission

Objectives

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease of connective tissue characterised by chronic course with periods of exacerbation and remission. Even in the early stages of the disease patients report the occurrence of fatigue and sleep disorders. Reduced sleep quality and chronic fatigue are common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the severity of fatigue and sleep quality assessment among patients hospitalised with rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the relation between the level of symptoms of fatigue and sleep quality and variables such as: age, gender, disease duration, marital status, applied pharmacological treatment, and pain intensity.

Materials and methods

The study involved 38 patients (12 men and 26 women) hospitalised in the Rheumatologic Ward of the Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital of the University of Medical Sciences. The average age of the entire group was 56.26 years. Fatigue was evaluated with use of Polish version of Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), while in order to evaluate sleep quality within the examined group of patients the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used.

Results

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the analysed group have lower sleep quality, and within subjects with such a diagnosis the fatigue is present. The relation was found between fatigue and such variables as: age, illness duration, marital status, applied pharmacological treatment, and severity of pain. Sleep quality within patients with RA is correlated by such variables as: age, gender, applied pharmaceutical treatment, and severity of pain. It was identified that patients with lower sleep quality experience increased levels of fatigue.

Conclusions

There is a need to clarify which factors determine the level of fatigue and sleep quality in patients suffering from RA in future population-based research and to indicate to doctors, nurses, psychologists, and physiotherapists the significance and importance of the problem, which requires specialised and holistic care.

Functional disability associated with disease and quality-of-life parameters in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background

As an important outcome measure among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, functional disability may contribute to unemployment, loss of work productivity, and impaired quality of life. However, little is known about the risk factors of functional disability in Chinese RA patients. This study aimed (1) to examine the prevalence of functional disability in Chinese RA patients; (2) to explore factors associated with the health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI).

Methods

A total of 101 RA patients in this cross-sectional study underwent standardized laboratory examinations and responded to the questionnaire for demographic data, the HAQ-DI for functional disability, the Compliance Questionnaire on Rheumatology (CQR) for medication adherence, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for psychological status, and the Short Form 36 health survey (SF-36) for quality of life. Pain, grip/pinch strength, disease activity, and large joint mobility were recorded. Independent samples t-tests, chi-square analyses, and logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the data.

Results

The mean ± SD age of RA patients was 54.9 ± 11.9 years. Approximately 15.8% RA patients in mainland China experience functional disability (defined as a HAQ-DI score ≥ 1). Long disease duration, pain, high disease activity, a larger number of tender and swollen joints, high C-reactive protein (CRP) level, decreased grip strength, and limitation of shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and ankle motion were associated with the HAQ-DI. Participants with functional disability tended to have more severe depressive symptoms and a lower quality of life compared with individuals without functional disability. Stepwise logistic regression analyses found that limitation of wrist extension (P = 0.001) and lower body pain (BP) score (P = 0.001) explained higher HAQ-DI score.

Conclusions

The present study reported that functional disability was common in Chinese RA patients. A low quality of life and limitation of joint mobility had great impacts on functional disability in Chinese RA patients. Targeted and culturally sensitive interventions should be strengthened to delay the onset of disabilities of this population.

The Use of patient Reported Outcome Measures for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Japan: A Systematic Literature Review

Background:

Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) obtained through routine medical care may identify patients’ day-to-day burden and help tackle the disease from the patients’ perspective. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the availability of PRO data and PRO tools for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan.

Objective:

We reviewed the literature on PRO data availability and to identify PRO measures implemented in Japan for RA patients.

Method:

We conducted a systematic literature review using ICHUSHI and the PubMed databases on PRO measures for RA published from January 2011 to August 2015 in Japan.

Results:

After removing duplicates, 2423 manuscripts were found. From these, 100 manuscripts were included for review and analysis. We found 29 PRO tools that were used to assess various domains of health such as general well-being, pain, functionality, and fatigue. More than 90% of the studies utilized PRO tools for research purpose. Only one study reported PRO tool implementation in the routine medical care.

Conclusion:

The importance of PROs is recognized in Japan. PRO tools varied significantly and were mostly used for research purposes, while reports on the use of PRO measures in routine medical care were limited. Despite the awareness of PROs in the research community, unmet needs remain among RA patients in Japan. Further work is needed to investigate ways in which PROs can better reflect these unmet needs and be utilized in routine medical care.

Improvements in Fatigue in 1536 Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Correlation with Other Treatment Outcomes: A Post Hoc Analysis of Three Randomized Controlled Trials of Abatacept

INTRODUCTION

A post hoc analysis of three randomized controlled trials of abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was conducted to explore the effect of abatacept on fatigue in RA and its correlation with other outcomes.

METHODS

In this analysis of AGREE (early RA) and AIM and ATTAIN (established RA), changes in baseline fatigue (0-100 mm scale), pain, sleep (AIM and ATTAIN only) and Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28 (C-reactive protein; CRP) were calculated at days 29, 85, and 169. Agreement between improvements ≥minimum clinically important differences (MCID) in fatigue and other outcomes were evaluated using agreement statistics (kappa) in each study and at each time point.

RESULTS

Of 1536 patients (mean disease duration: 6.2 months [AGREE], 8.5 years [AIM], 12.2 years [ATTAIN]), mean (SE) decreases in fatigue from baseline to day 169 with abatacept were 28.9 (1.7), 25.3 (1.2), and 21.9 (1.6) in AGREE, AIM, and ATTAIN, respectively, with corresponding decreases of 16.0, 13.7, and 13.4 at day 29. Most patients (67.8%; 624/920) reported improvements ≥MCID in fatigue with abatacept at day 169; 79.2% (671/847) and 57.8% (388/671) reported improvements ≥MCID in pain and sleep, respectively; 18.9% (158/836) were in DAS28 (CRP) remission. Agreement between improvement in fatigue and other outcomes was low (kappa range 0.30-0.51 [pain], 0.14-0.26 [sleep], and 0.02-0.12 [DAS28 (CRP) remission]).

CONCLUSIONS

Abatacept resulted in rapid improvements in fatigue and pain in patients with RA. However, low agreement between improvements in these outcomes indicates that fatigue and other outcomes including pain and sleep may represent different domains of response.

FUNDING

Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Reciprocal Relationship Between Sleep Macrostructure and Evening and Morning Cellular Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the reciprocal associations between sleep macrostructure and levels of cellular inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and controls.

METHODS

RA patients (n = 24) and matched controls (n = 48) underwent all-night polysomnography, along with assessment of spontaneous- and Toll-like receptor-4-stimulated monocytic production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-6 at 11:00 PM and 8:00 AM.

RESULTS

As compared with controls, RA patients showed lower levels of sleep efficiency (mean [standard deviation], 88.1 [6.1] versus 83.8 [7.0]), a higher percentage stage 3 sleep (9.3 [6.4] versus 13.1 [6.9]), and higher levels of percentage of monocytes either spontaneously expressing TNF at 11:00 PM (log transformed, 1.07 [0.28] versus 1.22 [0.17]), and higher Toll-like receptor-4-stimulated production of IL6 at 8:00 AM (log transformed, 3.45 [0.80] versus 3.83 [0.39]). Higher levels of stimulated production of TNF at 11:00 PM were associated with higher sleep efficiency (0.74). In turn, sleep efficiency had a countervailing relationship on TNF production at 8:00 AM (-0.64). Higher levels of spontaneous and stimulated production of IL6 at 11:00 PM were associated with more stage 3 (0.39), stage 4 (0.43), and slow-wave sleep (0.49), with evidence that stage 4 had a countervailing relationship on IL6 production at 8:00 AM (-0.60).

CONCLUSIONS

RA patients show evidence of sleep fragmentation, greater sleep depth, and higher levels of cellular inflammation. Sleep maintenance and sleep depth show countervailing relationships with evening and morning levels of monocytic production of TNF and IL-6, respectively, which support the hypothesis of a feedback loop between sleep maintenance, slow-wave sleep, and cellular inflammation that is cytokine specific.

Anti-Citrullinated Cyclic Peptide Antibody and Functional Disability Are Associated With Poor Sleep Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives

This study aims to determine the predictors of poor sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Patients and methods

This was a monocentric, cross sectional, case-control study which was conducted at the Putrajaya Hospital, Malaysia. We recruited 46 patients with RA (3 males; 43 females; mean age 48.15±14.96) and 46 age and sex-matched healthy controls (3 males; 43 females; mean age 47.11±12.22). RA patients were assessed for their disease activity based on disease activity score in 28 joints, disease damage based on radiographic erosions, and functional status based on Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were determined by interviewing all the subjects. Subjects with RA were further subdivided based on their PSQI scores as "good sleepers" with PSQI scores of <5 and "poor sleepers" with PSQI scores of ≥5.

Results

The percentage of poor sleepers was significantly higher among RA patients (47.83% versus 9.57%). Median scores of 5 out of 7 components of the PSQI were higher among RA patients compared to controls. Among poor sleepers with RA, a significantly higher proportion tested positive for anti-citrullinated cyclic peptide autoantibodies (p=0.037). Besides, poor sleepers had significantly higher median Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (p=0.017) than good sleepers. However, both Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (p=0.968) and anti-citrullinated cyclic peptide (p=0.431) were insignificant when entered in the equation of a logistic regression model.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrate a link between functional disability, anti-citrullinated cyclic peptide antibodies, and sleep quality in RA.

Sleep quality in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis: contributing factors and effects on health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep quality is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and may lead to disease aggravation and decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The increasing prevalence of poor sleep in RA patients is associated with adverse demographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics. However, there are currently no known reported studies related to the effects of sleep quality on HRQoL in RA patients from China. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the contributors of poor sleep and the effects of sleep quality on HRQoL in Chinese RA patients.

METHODS

A self-report survey was administered to 131 RA patients and 104 healthy individuals using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality. RA patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for anxiety and depression, the 28-joint Disease Activity Score for disease activity, the 10 cm Visual Analog Scale for pain, the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index for functional capacity and the Short Form 36 health survey for HRQoL. Blood samples were taken to gain some biochemical indicators (e.g., erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide). Independent samples t-tests, Chi square analysis, logistic regression modeling and linear regression were used to analyze these data.

RESULTS

Our results found that the prevalence of poor sleep (PSQI ≥ 5) was 78.6% and the mean global score of PSQI was 7.93 (SD 3.98) in patients, which were significantly higher than the controls (18.7% and 3.88 (SD 1.89), respectively). There were significant correlations among synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, pain, disease activity, functional capacity, anxiety/depression and sleep quality in RA patients. Meanwhile, logistic regression models identified disease activity and depression as predictors of poor sleep quality. Poor RA sleepers had impaired HRQoL than good RA sleepers, and sleep quality was independently and significantly associated with social function and mental components summary.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of Chinese RA patients suffered from poor sleep, which significantly impairs their HRQoL. The data suggested the need for holistic assessment and management of RA patients and the importance of objective interventions to improve their sleep quality and finally to improve their HRQoL.

The evaluation of sleep quality and response to anti-tumor necrosis factor α therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Poor sleep quality (SQ) is increasingly recognized as giving rise to decreased quality of life, and raising pain perception. Our aim is to evaluate the SQ in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy. This was a prospective observational and open-label study of RA patients. A total of 35 patients with RA were enrolled in this study. Of the 35 patients, 22 had high disease activity (DA), and 13 were in remission. High DA group was initiated an anti TNF-α therapy. Clinical and objective parameters of SQ were assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG). The total PSQI score and the frequency of poor SQ were high in 60 % of the RA patients. The median PSQI score was significantly higher in the high DA group than in the remission group (P = 0.026). Following an anti-TNF-α therapy initiation, significant improvements were observed in the high DA group by PSQI test (P = 0.012). However, no statistically significant difference was found by PSG (P > 0.05). Although an improvement in DA with anti-TNF-alpha therapy did not provide an amelioration in laboratory parameters, we found a significant improvement in SQ by subjective PSQI test. These findings may support that sleep disorders in RA are likely to be associated with a complex pathophysiology.

High Frequency of Fibromyalgia in Patients With Acne Vulgaris

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome and to specify fibromyalgia syndrome-associated clinical symptoms in patients with acne vulgaris.

Patients and methods

Eighty-eight patients (28 males, 60 females; mean age 23.2±5.1 years; range 18 to 40 years) with acne vulgaris and age, sex- and body mass index-similar 76 healthy controls (14 males, 62 females; mean age 24.5±2.9 years; range 18 to 35 years) were included. Acne vulgaris was evaluated by using the Global Acne Scale, while Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate anxiety.

Results

Fibromyalgia-associated pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and menstrual cycle disturbance were significantly more frequent in patients with acne vulgaris than controls. Also, the severity of anxiety and the number of tender points were significantly higher in the acne vulgaris patients than controls.

Conclusion

This study indicates that patients with acne vulgaris have increased frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome than healthy controls (21.6% versus 5.3%, respectively).

Relationship between Sleep Disorders, Pain and Quality of Life in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid arthritis as one of the most common autoimmune diseases is known to be one of the leading causes of disability. Sleep disorders have direct influence on patient's life. According to studies, sleep problems are known to have negative impact on well-being and functioning, but the exact nature of relationship between sleep disorders and Rheumatoid arthritis is not completely understood. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep disorders, pain and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis patients.

METHODS

In a descriptive -correlative study, 210 patients with rheumatoid arthritis referred to Tabriz medical university clinics selected by convenience sampling and were assessed by Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SDQ), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS-13 by descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean (SD) and inferential statistics including Spearman correlation analysis, linear regression, χ(2),t-test and ANOVA.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 48.41(12.92) years in which most of them (74%) were female. The mean (SD) quality of life was 40.51(22.94), sleepiness 13.14 (5.6) and pain 6.09 (2.14). There was significant negative relationship between some sleep disorders such as (naps, apnea, asphyxia,…) and pain with quality of life but pain severity had more effect on QOL compared to sleep problems. Furthermore, participants had low quality of life with more restriction in physical (mean=34.71) and general health (mean=34.42).

CONCLUSION

Sleep problems and pain were associated with poor quality of life in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients.

Sleep Disorders in Postmenopausal Women

One of the core symptoms of the menopausal transition is sleep disturbance. Peri-menopausal women often complain of difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep with frequent nocturnal and early morning awakenings. Factors that may play a role in this type of insomnia include vasomotor symptoms, changing reproductive hormone levels, circadian rhythm abnormalities, mood disorders, coexistent medical conditions, and lifestyle. Other common sleep problems in this age group, such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, can also worsen the sleep quality. Exogenous melatonin use reportedly induces drowsiness and sleep and may ameliorate sleep disturbances, including the nocturnal awakenings associated with old age and the menopausal transition. Recently, more potent melatonin analogs (selective melatonin-1 (MT1) and melatonin-2 (MT2) receptor agonists) with prolonged effects and slow-release melatonin preparations have been developed. They were found effective in increasing total sleep time and sleep efficiency as well as in reducing sleep latency in insomnia patients. The purpose of this review is to give an overview on the changes in hormonal status to sleep problems among menopausal and postmenopausal women.

Sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis, and its association with disease activity in a Korean population

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to compare the sleep quality between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls; and to evaluate the relationship between RA disease activity and sleep quality in Korea.

METHODS

A total of 130 RA patients and 67 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in a comparative study of sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Age, gender, concomitant medication, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum C-reactive protein, Beck Depression Inventory second edition (BDI-II), 28 joints disease activity score (DAS28), pain visual analog scale (VAS), and PSQI were analyzed as covariates. We also analyzed the sleep quality of RA patients according to the disease activity (DAS28 ≤ 3.2, 3.2 < DAS28 < 5.1, and DAS28 ≥ 5.1, respectively).

RESULTS

The total PSQI score and the frequency of poor sleep quality, were higher in the RA patients (5.62 ± 4.19, 38.5%) than in the control subjects (3.57 ± 2.17, 13.4%). The patients with poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) were older and had a higher BDI-II and VAS score than the patients without sleep disturbance (PSQI ≤ 5). The score in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, daytime dysfunction, total PSQI, and frequency of poor sleep quality were increased when RA activity was high.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep disturbance was observed in RA patients (38.5%), and high RA disease activity was associated with poor sleep quality in Korea.

Polysomnographic characteristics in nonmalignant chronic pain populations: A review of controlled studies

Sleep and pain are critical homeostatic systems that interact in a bidirectional manner. Complaints of sleep disturbance are ubiquitous among patients with chronic pain disorders, and conversely, patients with persistent insomnia symptoms commonly report suffering from chronic pain. Sleep deprivation paradigms demonstrate that partial or complete sleep loss induce hyperalgesia, possibly due to shared mechanistic pathways including neuroanatomic and molecular substrates. Further, chronic pain conditions and sleep disturbances are intertwined through comorbidities, which together cause detrimental psychological and physical consequences. This critical review examines 29 polysomnography studies to evaluate whether nonmalignant chronic pain patients, as compared to controls, show differences in objective measures of sleep continuity and sleep architecture. Whereas these controlled studies did not reveal a consistent pattern of objective sleep disturbances, alterations of sleep continuity were commonly reported. Alterations of sleep architecture such as increases in light sleep or decreases in slow-wave sleep were less commonly reported and findings were mixed and also inconsistent. Methodological flaws were identified, which complicated interpretation and limited conclusions; hence, recommendations for future research are suggested. Knowledge of abnormalities in the sleep process has implications for understanding the pathophysiology of chronic pain conditions, which might also direct the development of novel intervention strategies.

Central pathways causing fatigue in neuro-inflammatory and autoimmune illnesses

BACKGROUND

The genesis of severe fatigue and disability in people following acute pathogen invasion involves the activation of Toll-like receptors followed by the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and the activation of microglia and astrocytes. Many patients suffering from neuroinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and systemic lupus erythematosus, also commonly suffer from severe disabling fatigue. Such patients also present with chronic peripheral immune activation and systemic inflammation in the guise of elevated proinflammtory cytokines, oxidative stress and activated Toll-like receptors. This is also true of many patients presenting with severe, apparently idiopathic, fatigue accompanied by profound levels of physical and cognitive disability often afforded the non-specific diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

DISCUSSION

Multiple lines of evidence demonstrate a positive association between the degree of peripheral immune activation, inflammation and oxidative stress, gray matter atrophy, glucose hypometabolism and cerebral hypoperfusion in illness, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Most, if not all, of these abnormalities can be explained by a reduction in the numbers and function of astrocytes secondary to peripheral immune activation and inflammation. This is also true of the widespread mitochondrial dysfunction seen in otherwise normal tissue in neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases and in many patients with disabling, apparently idiopathic, fatigue. Given the strong association between peripheral immune activation and neuroinflammation with the genesis of fatigue the latter group of patients should be examined using FLAIR magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tested for the presence of peripheral immune activation.

SUMMARY

It is concluded that peripheral inflammation and immune activation, together with the subsequent activation of glial cells and mitochondrial damage, likely account for the severe levels of intractable fatigue and disability seen in many patients with neuroimmune and autoimmune diseases.This would also appear to be the case for many patients afforded a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.