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Clinical and demographic data, including, age, sex, disease duration, body mass index (BMI), pain, patient's global assessment, physician's global assessment, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, and Maastricht Enthesitis Score, were recorded. Additionally, the presence of comorbid conditions with SpA may decrease the tolerability of medications and indeed may influence the decision to use biological drugs.3 The extraarticular manifestations and comorbidities of SpA patients were found to increase disability and healthcare expenditures.4 The association of SpA with comorbid situations were previously evaluated.5\"8 Some of the recommendations/guidelines underline the importance of considering comorbid situations during the management of SpA.910 The main objective of this study was to evaluate the comorbid conditions of Turkish patients with SpA. The questionnaire contains questions about hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM) (including any complication related to DM), renal disease, chronic lung diseases (asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pulmonary circulation disorders, thyroid dysfunction (hypo-or hyperthyroidism, any thyroid surgery, and consuming thyroid hormone replacement or suppressing medicine), cardiovascular system disorders (coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular events, and cardiac valve disease) gastrointestinal (GI) system disorders (peptic ulcer and GI bleeding), hepatic disorders, history of cancer, neurologic disorders (stroke, dementia, atlantoaxial instability, and spinal cord injury/cauda equina syndrome), psychiatric disorders (depression/psychosis). Three or more groups were compared by the Kruskal-Wallis test or analysis of variance (ANOVA) depending on their distribution.

ObjectivesTo evaluate construct validity, interpretability, reliability and responsiveness as well as determination of cut-off points for good and poor health within the original English version and the 18 translations of the disease-specific Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society Health Index (ASAS HI) in 23 countries worldwide in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).MethodsA representative sample of patients with SpA fulfilling the ASAS classification criteria for axial (axSpA) or peripheral SpA was used. The construct validity of the ASAS HI was tested using Spearman correlation with several standard health outcomes for axSpA. Test–retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in patients with stable disease (interval 4–7 days). In patients who required an escalation of therapy because of high disease activity, responsiveness was tested after 2–24weeks using standardised response mean (SRM).ResultsAmong the 1548 patients, 64.9% were men, with a mean (SD) age 42.0 (13.4) years. Construct validity ranged from low (age: 0.10) to high (Bath AnkylosingSpondylitisFunctioning Index: 0.71). Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α of 0.93). The reliability among 578 patients was good (ICC=0.87 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.89)). Responsiveness among 246 patients was moderate-large (SRM=−0.44 for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, −0.69 for conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and −0.85 for tumour necrosis factor inhibitor). The smallest detectable change was 3.0. Values ≤5.0 have balanced specificity to distinguish good health as opposed to moderate health, and values ≥12.0 are specific to represent poor health as opposed to moderate health.ConclusionsThe ASAS HI proved to be valid, reliable and responsive. It can be used to evaluate the impact of SpA and its treatment on functioning and health. Furthermore, comparison of disease impact between populations is possible.

Rheumatoid arthritis has both direct and indirect costs, and the latter is proposed to be higher because of extensive morbidity. [...]recently, these costs used to comprise of pharmacological costs including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and csDMARDs, rehabilitation measures, issues regarding morbidity, extraarticular problems, and orthopedic surgery.17 However, after the introduction of TNFi agents, pharmacological costs are higher and economic issue began drawing more attention.18 Also, there are novel studies to evaluate the economic aspects of de-escalation, first-line use, and discontinuation of biologic therapies.19,20 According to some authors, early effective treatment with bDMARDs may beneficially contribute to economic burden by postponing disease progression, improving quality of life, decreasing other costs by preserving productivity, and reducing the need for surgery, admission to hospitals, and social service utilization.21 The LoA increased from 6.33±3.19 to 9.67±0.62 after the mentioned change (p<0.001). The most recent approach suggests that DAS28-CRP <1.9 and DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) <2.2 are related best to clinical disease activity index (CDAI)remission.30 However, in a study to test these new cut-points in RA patients on tocilizumab treatment, it was seen that approximately 50% of patients in DAS28-CRP-remission (<1.9) were in higher disease activity levels according to CDAI and simplified disease activity index (SDAI). [...]the authors concluded that even these stringent cut-off values were insufficient to determine the remission reliably due to limitation of score construction of DAS28 itself which frequently harbors residual clinical disease activity even in remission state.31 Additionally, nowadays, some composite indices involving the ultrasound findings have been proposed. [...]the risk of losing low disease activity after bDMARD discontinuation was reported to be lower among patients with recent RA (37.2%) than those with established RA (52.6%).108 On which patients down-titration of the biologic therapy should be considered or delayed.109 Beyond merely clinical remission determined with tender and swollen joint counts, imaging or serologic remission may also be taken into account.110 In a study on guidance of ultrasound for de-escalation of biologics, the presence of power Doppler positive synovitis in any joint at baseline was found to be predictive of flares.111 The LoA is 9.3±1.14 and the grade is A. Since there was no statistically significant difference between the two voting rounds, the item remained unchanged. 12. National health insurance systems designate their regulations considering the recent literature. [...]we have performed this study to provide an acceptable, evidence-based and sustainable treatment algorithm for the use of Turkish rheumatologists and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and to constitute a reference for our national health insurance system.

Regular physical activity (PA) is increasingly promoted for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases as well as the general population. We evaluated if the public health recommendations for PA are applicable for people with inflammatory arthritis (iA; Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis) and osteoarthritis (hip/knee OA) in order to develop evidence-based recommendations for advice and guidance on PA in clinical practice. The EULAR standardised operating procedures for the development of recommendations were followed. A task force (TF) (including rheumatologists, other medical specialists and physicians, health professionals, patient-representatives, methodologists) from 16 countries met twice. In the first TF meeting, 13 research questions to support a systematic literature review (SLR) were identified and defined. In the second meeting, the SLR evidence was presented and discussed before the recommendations, research agenda and education agenda were formulated. The TF developed and agreed on four overarching principles and 10 recommendations for PA in people with iA and OA. The mean level of agreement between the TF members ranged between 9.8 and 8.8. Given the evidence for its effectiveness, feasibility and safety, PA is advocated as integral part of standard care throughout the course of these diseases. Finally, the TF agreed on related research and education agendas. Evidence and expert opinion inform these recommendations to provide guidance in the development, conduct and evaluation of PA-interventions and promotion in people with iA and OA. It is advised that these recommendations should be implemented considering individual needs and national health systems.

ObjectivesTo characterise peripheral musculoskeletal involvement in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), across the world.MethodsCross-sectional study with 24 participating countries. Patients with a diagnosis of axial SpA (axSpA), peripheral SpA (pSpA) or PsA according to their rheumatologist were included. The investigators were asked which diagnosis out of a list of six (axSpA, PsA, pSpA, inflammatory bowel disease-associated SpA, reactive arthritis or juvenile SpA (Juv-SpA)) fitted the patient best. Peripheral manifestations (ie, peripheral joint disease, enthesitis, dactylitis and root joint disease), their localisation and treatments were evaluated.ResultsA total of 4465 patients were included (61% men, mean age 44.5 years) from four geographic areas: Latin America (n=538), Europe plus North America (n=1677), Asia (n=975) and the Middle East plus North Africa (n=1275). Of those, 78% had ever suffered from at least one peripheral musculoskeletal manifestation; 57% had peripheral joint disease, 44% had enthesitis and 15% had dactylitis. Latin American had far more often peripheral joint disease (80%) than patients from other areas. Patients with PsA had predominantly upper limb and small joint involvement (52%).Hip and shoulder involvement was found in 34% of patients. The prevalence of enthesitis ranged between 41% in patients with axSpA and 65% in patients with Juv-SpA. Dactylitis was most frequent among patients with PsA (37%).ConclusionThese results suggest that all peripheral features can be found in all subtypes of SpA, and that differences are quantitative rather than qualitative. In a high proportion of patients, axial and peripheral manifestations coincided. These findings reconfirm SpA clinical subtypes are descendants of the same underlying disease, called SpA.

ObjectiveTo identify clusters of peripheral involvement according to the specific location of peripheral manifestations (ie, arthritis, enthesitis and dactylitis) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and to evaluate whether these clusters correspond with the clinical diagnosis of a rheumatologist.MethodsCross-sectional study with 24 participating countries. Consecutive patients diagnosed by their rheumatologist as PsA, axial SpA or peripheral SpA were enrolled. Four different cluster analyses were conducted: one using information on the specific location from all the peripheral manifestations, and a cluster analysis for each peripheral manifestation, separately. Multiple correspondence analyses and k-means clustering methods were used. Distribution of peripheral manifestations and clinical characteristics were compared across the different clusters.ResultsThe different cluster analyses performed in the 4465 patients clearly distinguished a predominantly axial phenotype (cluster 1) and a predominantly peripheral phenotype (cluster 2). In the predominantly axial phenotype, hip involvement and lower limb large joint arthritis, heel enthesitis and lack of dactylitis were more prevalent. In the predominantly peripheral phenotype, different subgroups were distinguished based on the type and location of peripheral involvement: a predominantly involvement of upper versus lower limbs joints, a predominantly axial enthesitis versus peripheral enthesitis, and predominantly finger versus toe involvement in dactylitis. A poor agreement between the clusters and the rheumatologist‘s diagnosis as well as with the classification criteria was found.ConclusionThese results suggest the presence of two main phenotypes (predominantly axial and predominantly peripheral) based on the presence and location of the peripheral manifestations.