Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Feb 2006
Illness uncertainty, partner caregiver burden and support, and relationship satisfaction in fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis patients.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by uncertainty in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. This study assessed the role of uncertainty of illness in relationship satisfaction in patients with FMS and osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ The results suggest that uncertainty of illness is a prominent feature affecting patients with FMS in their relationships with their partners. Suggestions for additional research to explore the role of uncertainty of illness in social relationships are presented, and the therapeutic implications for patient/partner relationships are explored.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyFibromyalgia diagnosis: a comparison of clinical, survey, and American College of Rheumatology criteria.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for fibromyalgia are the de facto criteria used for research. However, ACR criteria are not generally utilized by nonrheumatologists, and rheumatologists may diagnose fibromyalgia in patients who do not satisfy the ACR criteria. We undertook this study to determine concordance between ACR criteria and clinician diagnosis and between proposed survey criteria and clinician diagnosis. ⋯ Clinical diagnosis and ACR and survey criteria are moderately concordant (72-75%) and address a common pool of symptoms and physical findings. Because there is no gold standard for fibromyalgia diagnosis and because fibromyalgia is often viewed as a trait diagnosis, all methods of diagnosis have utility. The survey method has the advantage that it does not require physical examination.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jan 2006
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a major mortality factor in diffuse systemic sclerosis, independent of interstitial lung disease.
To determine whether pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a prognostic factor for mortality in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc), independent of interstitial lung disease (ILD). ⋯ These results indicate that, independent of ILD, PAH is a major prognostic factor for survival in dcSSc.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jan 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyThe PREMIER study: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial of combination therapy with adalimumab plus methotrexate versus methotrexate alone or adalimumab alone in patients with early, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis who had not had previous methotrexate treatment.
To compare the efficacy and safety of adalimumab plus methotrexate (MTX) versus MTX monotherapy or adalimumab monotherapy in patients with early, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had not previously received MTX treatment. ⋯ In this population of patients with early, aggressive RA, combination therapy with adalimumab plus MTX was significantly superior to either MTX alone or adalimumab alone in improving signs and symptoms of disease, inhibiting radiographic progression, and effecting clinical remission.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2005
Positive association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and bone density in osteoarthritis.
To describe the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level and bone mineral density (BMD) in persons with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ We observed a significant positive association between serum 25(OH)D and BMD in individuals with primary knee OA, independent of sex, age, BMI, knee pain, physical activity, and disease severity. Given the high prevalence of low 25(OH)D status in persons with knee OA and the positive association between 25(OH)D and BMD, vitamin D supplementation may enhance BMD in individuals with OA.