Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · Dec 2017
Comparative StudyImpact of Moving From a Widespread to Multisite Pain Definition on Other Fibromyalgia Symptoms.
To investigate whether associations between pain and the additional symptoms associated with fibromyalgia are different in persons with chronic widespread pain (CWP) compared to multisite pain (MSP), with or without joint areas. ⋯ This large-scale study demonstrates that regardless of the pain definition used, the magnitude of association between pain and other associated symptoms of fibromyalgia is similar. This finding supports the continued collection of both when classifying fibromyalgia, but highlights the fact that pain may not require to follow the definition outlined within the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria.
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Arthritis care & research · Dec 2017
Perioperative Timing of Infliximab and the Risk of Serious Infection After Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.
The optimal timing of tumor necrosis factor antagonists before elective surgery is unknown. This study evaluated the association between infliximab timing and serious infection after elective hip or knee arthroplasty. ⋯ Administering infliximab within 4 weeks of elective knee or hip arthroplasty was not associated with a higher risk of short- or long-term serious infection compared to withholding infliximab for longer time periods. Glucocorticoid use, especially >10 mg/day, was associated with an increased infection risk.
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Arthritis care & research · Dec 2017
Fibromyalgia and the Prediction of Two-Year Changes in Functional Status in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with fibromyalgia (FM) have higher disease activity, greater medical costs, and worse quality of life compared to RA patients without FM. We determined the impact of FM on 2-year changes in the functional status of RA patients in a prospective study. ⋯ Both the presence of FM and increasing number of FM symptoms predicted worsening of functional status among individuals with RA. Among individuals with RA and FM, the magnitude of the difference in changes in MDHAQ was 4- to 7-fold higher than typical changes in MDHAQ score among individuals with established RA.