Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have better functional and working ability but poorer general health and higher comorbidity rates today than in the late 1990s

Isotemporal Substitution of Time Between Sleep and Physical Activity: Associations With Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine relationships between objectively measured nightly sleep, sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Furthermore, we aimed to estimate consequences for these risk factors of theoretical displacements of 30 minutes per day in one behavior with the same duration of time in another.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 78 patients with early RA. Nightly sleep, SB, LPA, and MVPA were assessed by a combined heart rate and accelerometer monitor. Associations with risk factors for CVD were analyzed using linear regression models and consequences of reallocating time between the behaviors by isotemporal substitution modeling.

RESULTS

Median (Q1-Q3) nightly sleep duration was 4.6 (3.6-5.8) hours. Adjusted for monitor wear time, age, and sex, 30-minutes-longer sleep duration was associated with favorable changes in the values β (95% confidence interval [CI]) for waist circumference by -2.2 (-3.5, -0.9) cm, body mass index (BMI) by -0.9 (-1.4, -0.4) kg/m² , body fat by -1.5 (-2.3, -0.8)%, fat-free mass by 1.6 (0.8, 2.3)%, sleeping heart rate by -0.8 (-1.5, -0.1) beats per minute, and systolic blood pressure by -2.5 (-4.0, -1.0) mm Hg. Thirty-minute decreases in SB, LPA, or MVPA replaced with increased sleep was associated with decreased android fat and lower systolic blood pressure levels. Replacement of SB or LPA with MVPA yielded lower BMIs.

CONCLUSION

Shorter sleep during the night is common among patients with early RA and is associated with adverse risk factors for CVD.

Alternative care providers in rheumatoid arthritis patient care: a queueing and simulation analysis

Patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis require lifelong monitoring by a rheumatologist. Initiation of the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug therapy within twelve weeks of the onset of symptoms is crucial to prevent joint damage and functional disability. We examine the impact of the engagement of alternate care providers (ACP) in alleviating delay due to limited rheumatologist capacity. Using queueing theory and discrete-event simulation, we model rheumatologist-only and rheumatologist-with-ACP system configurations as closed, multi-class queueing networks with class switching.Using summary data from an actual rheumatology clinic for illustration, we analyze various parameter conditions to aid clinic managers and policymakers in decisions concerning capacity allocations and feasible patient panel size that impact timeliness of care and resource utilization.Results not only confirm that a substantial increase in RA patient panel size with an ACP involved in the care of follow-up patients but also demonstrates the boundaries for feasible panel sizes and workload allocation.

Comorbidities in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Their Association with Patient-reported Outcomes: Results of Claims Data Linked to Questionnaire Survey

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of comorbidities in a population-based cohort of persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to matched controls and to examine their association with patient-reported outcomes in a survey sample.

METHODS

Data of 96,921 persons with RA [International Classification of Diseases, 10th ed (ICD-10) M05/M06] and 484,605 age- and sex-matched controls without RA of a German statutory health fund were studied regarding 26 selected comorbidities (ICD-10). A self-reported questionnaire, comprising joint counts [(tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC)], functional status (Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire), effect of the disease (Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease), and well-being (World Health Organization 5-item Well-Being Index; WHO-5) was sent to a random sample of 6193 persons with RA, of whom 3184 responded. For respondents who confirmed their RA (n = 2535), associations between comorbidities and patient-reported outcomes were analyzed by multivariable linear regression.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, all investigated comorbidities were more frequent in persons with RA (mean age 63 yrs, 80% female). In addition to cardiovascular risk factors, the most common were osteoarthritis (44% vs 21%), depression (32% vs 20%), and osteoporosis (26% vs 9%). Among the survey respondents, 87% of those with 0-1 comorbidity but only 77% of those with ≥ 8 comorbidities were treated by rheumatologists. Increasing numbers of comorbidities were associated with poorer values for TJC, SJC, function, and WHO-5.

CONCLUSION

Compared to a matched population, persons with RA present with increased prevalence of numerous comorbidities. Patients with RA and multimorbidity are at risk of insufficient rheumatological care and poorer patient-reported outcomes.

Microemulsion utility in pharmaceuticals: Implications for multi-drug delivery

Emulsion technology has been utilized extensively in the pharmaceutical industry. This article presents a comprehensive review of the literature on an important subcategory of emulsions, microemulsions. Microemulsions are optically transparent, thermodynamically stable colloidal systems, 10-100nm diameter, that form spontaneously upon mixing of oil, water and emulsifier. This review is the first to address advantages and disadvantages, as well as considerations and challenges in multi-drug delivery. For the period 1 January 2011-30 April 2016, 431 publications related to microemulsion drug delivery were identified and screened according to microemulsion, drug classification, and surfactant types. Results indicate the use of microemulsions predominantly in lipophilic drug delivery (79.4%) via oil-in-water microemulsions and non-ionic surfactants (90%) for oral or topical administration. Cancer is the disease state most targeted followed by inflammatory diseases, microbial infections and cardiovascular disease. Key generalizations from this analysis include: 1) microemulsion formulation is largely based on trial-and-error despite over 1200 publications related to microemulsion drug delivery since their discovery in 1943; 2) characterization using methods including interfacial tension, droplet size, electrical conductivity, turbidity and viscosity may provide additional information for greater predictability; 3) microemulsion drug delivery publications arise primarily from China (27%) and India (21%) suggesting additional research opportunities elsewhere.

An up-date on health-related quality of life in myasthenia gravis -results from population based cohorts

Abstract

Current available therapies control Myasthenia gravis (MG) reasonably well, but Health Related Quality of life (HRQOL) remains lower than expected. The aim was provide insights in how HRQOL in MG stands across borders and time, compare the scores to general population controls and other chronic disorders and assess the impact of potential predictors for quality of life such as a) clinical characteristics b) antibodies c) thymoma and d) treatment in a population-based cohort.

Methods

We designed a population-based cross-sectional study including 858 patients, 373 from Norway and 485 from the Netherlands. The Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36) and a cross-cultural validated questionnaire were used. Data were in addition compared to the general population, other chronic diseases and previous studies.

Results

Mean physical composite score was 59.4 and mental composite score 69.0 with no differences between the countries. The mean HRQOL score was lower in patients with bulbar and generalized symptoms (p < 0.001) compared to sex and age adjusted healthy controls, but not in patients with ocular symptoms or patients in remission. Multivariate analysis revealed that female gender, generalized symptoms and use of secondary immunosuppressive drugs at the time of testing were risk factors for reduced HRQOL.

Conclusions

Remission and absence of generalized symptoms were favorable factors for HRQOL in MG patients. Historically, the HRQOL levels have not changed since 2001 and no new clinical predictors could be detected in this exhaustive population-based study. Further studies should explore the impact of non clinical factors like ethnic variations, socio-economic and hormonal factors on HRQOL.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-015-0298-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.