Comparison of the Quality of life in Patients with Early and Established Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aim: To compare the quality of life (QOL) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) against patients with established RA.Methods: The clinical study included 164 participants from Russia: 114 outpatients with early RA, and 50 outpatients with established RA. Assessment of QOL in RA patients detected impaired indicators of the HAQ, SF-36 questionnaires, QOL-RA Scale already during the first year of the disease.Results: The HAQ test found a comparable frequency of severe functional disorders in patients with early and established RA. According to the SF-36 questionnaire, patients with early RA suffered from physical pain than patients with established RA. The QOL-RA Scale demonstrated that patients with initial stages of the disease process had the lowest scores for the "arthritis" and "joint pain", and participants with established RA additionally and on the "health".Conclusions: A comparative study of the QOL in respondents with early and established RA has shown that patients have a decrease it already during the first year of the disease on many indicators, as patients with a long anamnesis, and even experience more pronounced physical pain. So, tested questionnaires can provide benefits for monitoring health status and comparison of the effectiveness of drugs and treatment methods.