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Many patients with RA, SpA have common fears about flare triggers, disease outcomes
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis shared common fears about activities that may trigger disease flares and fears about becoming functionally debilitated, according to the results of a survey conducted by Laure Gossec, MD, PhD, associate professor of rheumatology, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University and Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Paris, and colleagues.
Researchers developed a self-reported, 44-item questionnaire broken into a section about fears and a section about beliefs that was distributed to 51 participating rheumatologists in France to administer to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis SpA.
Laure Gossec
Common responses to questions about fears showed patients were: “afraid of suffering again” (66.7% scored 7 or more out of 10), “afraid of losing control and autonomy” (61.4%), “afraid of being a burden for relatives” (59.6%), “afraid of losing all joint mobility” (58.9%), “afraid of the spread of the disease to other joints” (58.6%) and “afraid of the consequences of my disease on my professional activity” (58.6%).
Of 19 belief items, the five most frequently reported were: “flares are triggered by fatigue” (41.7%), “physical activity reduces flares” (38.7%), “flares are triggered by changes in the weather” (37.3%), “flares are triggered by physical effort” (37.1%) and “the disease is linked to a genetic cause” (36.9%).
“This study highlights the main fears and beliefs from a patient perspective using a novel questionnaire specific for chronic inflammatory arthritis,” the researchers wrote. “Consistent work needs to be performed to better document the effect of these fears and beliefs on adherence, disease care and progression.” – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Gossec L, et al. Paper #THU0575. Presented at: European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology; June 10-13, 2015; Rome.
Disclosures: Gossec reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.