Arthritis and rheumatism
-
Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2007
Schmorl's nodes: common, highly heritable, and related to lumbar disc disease.
Schmorl's nodes (SN) are common, but little is known of their relationship with degenerative change and back pain or genetic and environmental factors influencing their expression. We studied healthy female twin volunteers to determine the prevalence and clinical features associated with SN. ⋯ SN are common in middle-aged women and are strongly genetically determined. They are associated with lumbar degenerative change, which is a risk factor for back pain, but are not themselves an independent risk factor for back pain.
-
Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2007
Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and serum uric acid level: the third national health and nutrition examination survey.
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and may affect serum uric acid levels and risk of gout via various mechanisms. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between coffee, tea, and caffeine intake and serum uric acid level in a nationally representative sample of men and women. ⋯ These findings from a nationally representative sample of US adults suggest that coffee consumption is associated with lower serum uric acid level and hyperuricemia frequency, but tea consumption is not. The inverse association with coffee appears to be via components of coffee other than caffeine.
-
Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyCost-utility analysis of a multidisciplinary job retention vocational rehabilitation program in patients with chronic arthritis at risk of job loss.
To estimate from a societal perspective the cost-utility of a multidisciplinary job retention vocational rehabilitation program compared with usual care in patients with chronic rheumatic diseases at risk of job loss. ⋯ From a societal perspective, it remains unclear whether the program reduces or increases total costs. Further research on effective vocational rehabilitation is warranted, with special attention to early detection of work problems and the collaboration between health care and vocational rehabilitation services.
-
Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialResponder criteria for operant and cognitive-behavioral treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.
To predict the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and operant-behavioral therapy (OBT) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). ⋯ The results of this study suggest that pretreatment patient characteristics are important predictors of treatment response and may serve as a basis for matching treatments to patient characteristics. Prospective outcome studies are needed to confirm whether the tailoring of treatment actually leads to better outcomes for patients with FMS.
-
Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2007
Comparative StudyUsing Rasch analysis to compare the psychometric properties of the Short Form 36 physical function score and the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index in patients with psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Item-response theory is increasingly used in the development of robust measurement tools. The extent to which the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI) and Short Form 36 (SF-36) physical functioning subscale (PF) fit a Rasch model in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is uncertain. Our objective was to compare the psychometric properties of the HAQ DI and SF-36 PF in PsA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using Rasch analysis. ⋯ The SF-36 PF has significant psychometric advantages over the HAQ DI in PsA.