Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 2014
Increased arterial stiffness is independently associated with metabolic syndrome and damage index in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
We evaluated whether traditional or non-traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related risk factors were associated with pathological arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) adjusted for patients' age and blood pressure. ⋯ We have found a close link between metabolic syndrome and SLICC/ACR score with increased aortic stiffness. These variables might be an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE women without clinical evidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD).
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 2014
Observational StudyManagement of temporomandibular joint arthritis-related orofacial symptoms in juvenile idiopathic arthritis by the use of a stabilization splint.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may interfere with optimal joint and muscle function. Orofacial symptoms are common findings in relation to TMJ arthritis. Previous research on management of TMJ arthritis-related orofacial symptoms in patients with JIA has focused on pharmacological treatment modalities without involving physical pain management strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in orofacial pain and TMJ function after stabilization splint treatment. ⋯ The stabilization splint is a safe, reversible, low-cost treatment, and familiar to most dental practitioners. Based on our findings, we propose the implementation of stabilization splint therapy for the treatment of JIA patients with TMJ arthritis-related symptoms.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 2014
Making the invisible visible: bioelectrical impedance analysis demonstrates unfavourable body composition in rheumatoid arthritis patients in clinical practice.
To examine differences between the assessment of body composition by body mass index (BMI) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ A high frequency of unfavourable body composition, predominantly reduced FFMI and elevated FMI, was found in a cohort of RA patients with moderately active disease, turning BMI into an unreliable method for assessment of body composition in RA. BIA, however, might be the preferred method to assess FFMI and FMI in RA patients in clinical practice, as it is easy to use and relatively inexpensive.