Clinical rheumatology
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Clinical rheumatology · Dec 1993
Comparative StudyPain and fatigue in patients with rheumatic disorders.
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether fibromyalgia patients (n = 50) differed from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 22) and ankylosing sponylitis (n = 31) with respect to pain experience, pain coping and fatigue. A high general pain intensity level was recorded by the McGill Pain Questionnaire (p < 0.01) and the visual analogue scale (p < 0.01) in the fibromyalgia group compared to the other groups. The pain was of continuous duration in the fibromyalgia patients while the rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis patients experienced intermittent pain. ⋯ A high frequency of reported gastrointestinal problems (p < 0.01) and high intensity of fatigue (p < 0.01) were seen in the fibromyalgia group compared to the other groups. In the fibromyalgia group there was no correlation between the sleep problems and fatigue intensity. Thus, the fibromyalgia patients differed from the other groups in reporting frequently shoulder and upper arm pain, continuous pain, higher levels of fatigue and pain intensities as well as high frequency of gastrointestinal problems.
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Clinical rheumatology · Dec 1993
The relationship of total body bone mineral (TBBMC) to anthropometric variables in postmenopausal women, and contribution of chronological age and years since menopause to TBBMC loss.
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of total body bone mineral content (TBBMC), fat body mass (FBM) and fat mass percentage (%FM), lean body mass (LBM) and body weight (BW) were performed on 168 normal postmenopausal females. They were matched regarding life style and habits and had body mass index under 30. Their TBBMCs were correlated with these measurements, with chronological age (CA) and with the number of years since menopause (YSM). ⋯ There was a significant and negative correlation (r = -0.453, p < 0.001) between TBBMC and CA and to a higher range (r = -0.697, p < 0.001) with YSM. Menopausal females over 60 (n = 87) presented less bone mass than younger females (n = 81) (p < 0.01). These data suggest that regarding TBBMC, menopausal onset is a more important factor in bone mass loss, which persists rather markedly even during periods of time far from menopause and that TBBMC depends more on BW than on LBM and FM in women.
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Clinical rheumatology · Dec 1993
Bone mineral content and anthropometric variables in men: a cross-sectional study in 324 normal subjects.
Total body bone mineral content (TBBMC), total body bone mineral density (TBBMD), and regional bone mineral content (BMC) were determined with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and correlated with different anthropometric variables in 324 normal male subjects aged 15 to 85 years, in order to obtain further knowledge of the controversial course of bone mass in males. These subjects showed increased TBBMC and TBBMD up to the age of 25-29 years. A positive and significant (p < 0.001) correlation was observed between TBBMC and TBBMD and with BMC with age (p < 0.001), as well as between age and body weight (p < 0.001) and between the latter and body fat (p < 0.001). ⋯ By multiple regression analysis, TBBMC was significantly independent of fat-free mass (FFM) and lean body mass (LBM) (p < 0.01). These findings led us to point out that bone mass increases until the age of 29 years and that changes depend more on weight that on age in men. The rate of bone mass loss with age was 0.23%, that of soft tissue 0.35%, while fat mass increased 0.7% per year.