AB1180 COVID-19 HAD DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS ON RA SYMPTOMS AND FUNCTION BY SEX AND AGE: RESULTS FROM THE CANADIAN EARLY ARTHRITIS COHORT (CATCH)

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians with RA faced considerable uncertainty due to greater risk of infection, hospitalization, changing access to RA medications, and very limited access to in-person RA care. Further, to reduce transmission of the virus and COVID-related hospitalizations, stringent mitigation measures were implemented across the country to greatly reduce social contacts including curfews, limits on private gatherings and business closures. Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation efforts in RA. We hypothesized that women and younger adults with RA would report greater impairments in HRQL.

Objectives

To compare changes in HRQL prior-to and during the COVID-19 pandemic by sex and age groups in real-world RA patients seen in routine practice settings.

Methods

Data were from patients in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) who completed a study visit in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (Mar 2019 through Feb 2020) and a repeat assessment during the pandemic period (Mar 2020 – Jan 2022). RA disease activity was assessed using the RA Flare Questionnaire, a validated patient-reported measure of current RA disease symptoms (pain, stiffness, fatigue) and function (physical, participation). An RA-FQ score ≥ 20 was used to classify RA symptoms consistent with an RA inflammatory flare. HRQL was assessed using PROMIS-29 Adult Profiles. We compared changes in mean Physical (PHS) and Mental Health (MHS) scores, and the proportion of patients with impairments in each domain (i.e., scores ≥ 55 for pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep and ≤45 for physical function and participation) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across sex and age groups (<40, 40-64, ≥65 years).

Results

The 938 CATCH participants in the analytic sample with data available at both time periods had a mean (SD) age of 60 (13) and RA symptom duration of 5.8 (3.7) years; 72% were women, 88% were white, and 64% reported >high school education. Most (80%) were in CDAI REM/LDA at the most recent visit prior to start of pandemic. The proportion of patients with RA-FQ ≥20 were similar at both time periods. While physical and emotional RA symptom impacts remained stable in men prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, women reported significant increases in anxiety and depression during the pandemic period. Younger RA patients <40 reported increases in depression, and older RA patients (65+) reported increases in anxiety and greater impacts on participation.

Conclusion

Our results illustrate that while the proportions of patients with high inflammatory disease activity were similar prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed disproportionate impacts on HRQL by sex and age with a higher proportion of women, adults <40, and those ≥65 years of age experiencing greater impairments in several HRQL domains.

Table 1.DomainWomen (N = 673)Men (N=265)Age <40 (N=84)Age 45-64 (N=492)Age 65+ (N= 362)BeforeDuringBeforeDuringBeforeDuringBeforeDuringBeforeDuringRA Flare >20%17%21%19%18%13%7%18%21%18%21%Anxiety34%*42%*23%23%42%55%32%35%28%*35%*Depression28%*34%*22%20%25%*42%*28%28%24%30%Fatigue36%38%24%23%43%43%36%33%26%32%Pain47%52%48%45%39%48%46%49%49%54%Physical function54%57%46%46%40%40%49%50%59%62%Participation42%47%34%36%37%38%40%41%40%*49%*Sleep30%34%18%22%26%29%29%33%23%28%

*p <0.05

Acknowledgements

CATCH is supported through unrestricted research grants from: Amgen and Pfizer Canada since 2007; AbbVie since 2011; Medexus since 2013; Sandoz Canada since 2019; Fresenius Kabi Canada since 2021 and; Organon Canada since 2021. Previous funding from Janssen Canada (2011-16); UCB Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada (2011-18); Hoffman La Roche (2011-21); Sanofi Genzyme (2016-17); Eli Lilly Canada (2016-20); Merck Canada (2017-21) and Gilead Sciences Canada (2020-21)

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS1569-PARE TESTING A NEW APPROACH TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS PATIENT-VALUED TREATMENT GOALS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA): A PATIENT-ENGAGED HEALTHCARE VALUATION STRATEGY

Background

Common approaches to valuing health technologies often fail to capture outcomes that matter to patients and families. The treatment goals of people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include common trial endpoints but also include other facets of disease impact. Identifying a feasible and rigorous approach to inclusion of the patient perspective is needed as trialists increasingly seek to incorporate patient-important outcomes in trial design and as varied patient-centered value assessment frameworks emerge. No standard approach is available to systemically identify and quantify patient-important outcomes, nor to include those outcomes in deliberative decision-making. We developed the Patient-Engaged Healthcare Valuation strategy, using principles of goal attainment scaling to frame survey-based goal collection directly from adults.

Objectives

To develop and test a goal-based method for collecting RA patient input for use in clinical trials and value assessment and evaluating the feasibility of this approach in people with RA.

Methods

Patient goals and domains were identified from (1) a literature review (2010-2020) of patient outcomes, goals, and preferences in RA, and (2) discussions with patients and clinicians during two meetings with a steering committee (SC) consisting of clinicians, outcomes researchers, patients/advocates, and health economists. These goals informed the development of a draft survey. Adults with RA were recruited from online patient networks to rate goal importance and suggest additional goals. SC members reviewed the survey findings and assessed feasibility of scaling up goal collection for HTA.

Results

Of 135 articles identified, 17 were retained. An inductive and iterative approach was used to identify and thematically group the final set of 36 goals into 4 domains. The draft survey was cognitively debriefed with 4 adults with RA. The first survey was administered to 20 participants; results informed item revisions and additions for the second round of data collection (n=27).

The 47 respondents were mostly White (87%), college-educated (72%) women (93%) living with RA for an average of 15 years; 75% rated their RA as moderate to severe. Free-text goals added in round 1 include: 1) finding specialists who listen to patient input on symptoms; 2) addressing loneliness or isolation; and 3) finding support from or helping others with RA. All Symptom and Life Impact goals were rated as Important or Very Important by ≥85% of participants; endorsement for Management and Treatment goals was somewhat more variable, with ≥85% endorsing these as Somewhat to Very Important. Results suggested that domains match key goals. Steering committee ratings supported the feasibility of this method.

Conclusion

Goals relevant for RA treatment evaluation can be efficiently identified and rated for importance by patients. Patient-important goals can be incorporated into deliberative healthcare valuation using this method to permit “crowd-sourced” input from people living with RA and to capture heterogeneous patient perspectives in healthcare valuation.

Table 1.

Top Goals based on rating as “Very Important” by >70% of subjects, from set of 36. “My goals for living with RA are to…”

GoalsNot ImportantSomewhat ImportantImportantVery ImportantSymptom Managementimprove the quality of my life with RA0% (0)0% (0)23% (11)77% (36)manage my RA pain0% (0)2% (1)11% (5)87% (41)reduce how my RA pain interferes with my life0% (0)9% (4)17% (8)74% (35)Life Impactreduce the ways in which RA interferes with my life0% (0)2% (1)21% (10)77% (36)be independent in my daily functioning0% (0)4% (1)15% (4)81% (22)Managing my RAfeel like I can manage my RA0% (0)2% (1)26% (12)72% (34)Treatment Featuresunderstand my RA treatment options0% (0)4% (2)21% (10)74% (35)have the information I need to make treatment decisions0% (0)0% (0)19% (9)81% (38)know what to expect with my RA treatment0% (0)2% (1)23% (11)74% (35)find treatments that are effective0% (0)0% (0)6% (3)94% (44)

Acknowledgements

I have no acknowledgements to declare.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

OP0308-HPR MORE THAN HALF OF RA PATIENTS WITH A LIFETIME HISTORY OF MOOD DISORDERS WERE ANXIOUS AND DEPRESSED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: RESULTS FROM THE CANADIAN EARLY COHORT (CATCH) STUDY

Background

A growing number of studies indicate the considerable mental health impacts of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in the general population as chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of depression and anxiety. Mood disorders are more prevalent in RA and a history of anxiety or depressive disorders increases the risk of recurrence in the future.

Objectives

To compare trends in prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in RA patients with and without a lifetime history of mood disorders.

Methods

Data were from RA patients diagnosed and treated for RA in rheumatology clinics across Canada enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) Study. We estimated monthly trends in prevalence of clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression (PROMIS Depression and Anxiety 4a score 55+) from all visits between Mar 2019 and Jan 2022 and compared monthly trends in anxiety and depression in the year prior to (Mar 2019- Feb 2020) and during the pandemic (Mar 2020 to Jan 2022) stratified by lifetime history of mood disorders.

Results

4,148 visits were completed from Mar 2019 to Jan 2022 in 1,644 RA patients with a mean (SD) age of 60 (14) and disease duration of 6 (4) years. 73% were women, 84% white, 60% had completed some post-secondary education, and 77% were in CDAI REM/LDA at the visit closest to the start of pandemic. 253 (15%) reported a lifetime history of depression and 217 (13%) a lifetime history of anxiety; 8% reported prior treatment for either.

Patients with a history of mood disorders had higher levels of depression and anxiety prior-to and during the pandemic compared with patients without a history of mood disorders (Table 1). Proportions were highest during COVID waves in all and were substantially higher and more variable in people with a previous history of mood disorders as compared to those without a history (Figure 1). While depressive symptoms peaked early in the pandemic, anxiety increased with each wave, peaking in Wave 3 (May-Jun 2021).

Table 1.

Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in RA patients with and without a history of mood disorders.

Period Prevalence (monthly range)DepressionAnxietyNo historyPrior HistoryNo HistoryPrior HistoryN observations35276213610538Prepandemic (3/19 - 2/20)21%(14%-30%)51%(29%-64%)27%(20%-35%)58%(31%-89%)Pandemic (3/20 - 1/22)22%(15%-29%)53%(33%-78%)28%(20%-43%)59%(33%-80%)Figure 1.

During the first 22 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of patients with depression and anxiety increased in all groups. More than half of those with a history of emotional distress had clinically significant levels of depression and anxiety; proportions were highest during COVID waves in all and were substantially higher in people with previous history as compared to those without a history (see Figure 1). Whereas depressive symptoms peaked early in the pandemic, anxiety increased with each wave, peaking in Wave 3 (May-Jun 2021).

Conclusion

Symptoms of anxiety and depression were common in Canadian adults with RA prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas others have found that high levels of depression and anxiety occurred early in the pandemic but declined fairly rapidly in the general population1, emotional distress was not attenuated over time in this large cohort of RA patients. Individuals reporting lifetime history of mood disorders were more than twice as likely to report anxiety and depression, with depression peaking early in the pandemic and anxiety growing with each successive wave in the first year. The results demonstrate the importance of applying a lifetime perspective as previous episodes of anxiety and depression may be an important marker of increased vulnerability and recurrence in RA patients, particularly during the pandemic.

References

[1]Fancourt D et al. Trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms during enforced isolation due to COVID-19 in England. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8:141-9.

Acknowledgements

CATCH is supported through unrestricted research grants from: Amgen and Pfizer Canada since 2007; AbbVie Corporation since 2011; Medexus since 2013; Sandoz Canada since 2019; Fresenius Kabi Canada since 2021 and; Organon Canada since 2021. Previous funding from Janssen Canada (2011-16); UCB Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada (2011-18); Hoffman La Roche Limited (2011-21); Sanofi Genzyme (2016-17); Eli Lilly Canada (2016-20); Merck Canada (2017-21) and; Gilead Sciences Canada (2020-21)

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Validity of the Health Assessment Questionnaire Predicting All-Cause Mortality in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: Reply to three letters to the editor

We appreciate the interest in our manuscript concerning the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ) in an early rheumatoid arthritis incident cohort (the CATCH cohort) which predicted all-cause mortality (1). We will clarify queries raised in letters to the editor (2-4).

OP0262-HPR THE NEURO-QOL UPPER EXTREMITY FUNCTION SCALE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE RELIABLY AND PRECISELY MEASURE SELF-REPORTED HAND FUNCTION AND SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES IN PEOPLE WITH RA

Background:

RA is an inflammatory disease that results in pain and loss of function, especially in the hands and wrists. Brief self-assessment tools that can reliably and precisely quantify hand/wrist function are needed to assess inflammatory activity when a physical exam is not feasible and to capture day-to-day experience of living with RA. Neuro-QoL is part of the PROMIS family of self-report measures created using a patient-centred approach and IRT methodology. The Neuro-Qol Upper Extremity Function (UEF) scale measures ability across fine motor and ADLs involving digital, manual and reach-related function and self-care. Little is known about its performance in RA.

Objectives:

To evaluate the validity and responsiveness of the 8-item Neuro-QoL UEF in RA. We hypothesized scores would be strongly (r>.70) associated with MHAQ, MD-HAQ, and PROMIS PF, moderately (r=.4 to .7) to symptoms, disease activity, and QoL indicators, and be responsive to change in disease activity and PF.

Methods:

Data were from the 0 and 6-month visits of adults with early RA (sx <1 yr) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort, a prospective real-world study at 16 sites across Canada. Participants completed the Neuro-QoL UEF, MHAQ, MDHAQ, PROMIS-29, and PT Global at each visit. Rheumatologists recorded joint counts and MD Global. To evaluate content validity, we examined descriptive statistics across CDAI disease activity levels, and Pearson correlations between the Neuro-QOL UEF, legacy measures, CRP & ESR. Responsiveness was assessed by correlating change scores from visits 0-6 between Neuro-QoL UEF, disease activity and legacy PF scores.

Results:

The 262 participants were mostly white (83%) women (71%) with a mean (SD) age of 55 (13). Summary statistics at 6-months are shown in Table 1. Neuro-QOL UEF was moderately-strongly correlated with MHAQ, MDHAQ, PROMIS-PF (|r|=.63-.75) and moderately correlated with pain and stiffness, (|r|=.59, -.64), and CDAI, SDAI, PT&MD Global, TJ & SJ (|r|=.39-.58). Neuro-QOL UEF was moderately correlated with PROMIS QoL domains Pain, Fatigue, Anxiety, Depression, Sleep & Participation (|r|=.39-.60).

Table 1.

Summary statistics of physical function and RA disease activity indices at 6 months.

MeanSDMdn25%75%(Min, Max)Physical FunctionNeuro-Qol UEF46.59.753.837.553.8(21.8, 53.8)MHAQ (0-3)0.290.430.130.000.38(0.00, 2.25)MD-HAQ (0-10)1.391.640.700.002.00(0.00, 8.00)PROMIS-PF46.48.546.239.556.0(23.3, 56.0)RA Disease ActivityCDAI9.39.96.03.013.0(0.0, 56.0)SDAI10.710.96.83.115.2(0.0, 57.0)Patient Global3.02.5315(0, 10)MD Global1.82.2103(0, 9)Swollen Joints (28)2.13.7002(0, 20)Tender Joints (28)2.43.9103(0, 24)

Neuro-QOL scores decreased in a dose-response manner across worsening CDAI DA states reflecting increasing impairment (Table 2). Persons with HDA reported the highest disability, scoring nearly 0.5 SD lower on the Neuro-QoL UEF than PROMIS PF. Change from baseline to 6 months in Neuro-QoL UEF was moderately correlated with changes in PROMIS PF, MHAQ, PT Global, and CDAI (|r|=.44-.65). The mean change and range from 0-6 months in Neuro-QoL was significantly larger than in PROMIS (8.9 [95% CI 7.5, 10.4] vs. 5.4 [95% CI 4.4, 6.4])(see Figure).

Table 2.

Mean scores (95% CI) at 6 months by CDAI level.

REMLDAMDAHADNeuroQol UEF52.8 (51.8, 53.7)48.1 (46.6, 49.7)42.0 (39.4, 44.6)33.8 (30.5, 37.1)MHAQ (0-3)0.05 (0.02, 0.09)0.19 (0.14, 0.24)0.45 (0.34, 0.57)0.90 (0.63, 1.17)MD-HAQ (0-10)0.31 (0.17, 0.46)1.11 (0.90, 1.32)2.15 (1.71, 2.59)3.56 (2.56, 4.56)PROMIS-PF52.8 (51.4, 54.2)46.8 (45.3, 48.2)42.3 (40.4, 44.2)38.0 (34.4, 41.6)

Conclusion:

Clinicians, researchers, and patients benefit from practical self-report tools that reliably and precisely monitor hand function in RA. Results offer initial evidence of validity and responsiveness and support use of Neuro-QoL UEF to self-assess inflammatory activity in the hands and day-to-day experiences of living with RA.

Acknowledgements:

The CATCH study was designed and implemented by the investigators and financially supported through unrestricted research grants from: Amgen and Pfizer Canada - Founding sponsors since January 2007; AbbVie Corporation and Hoffmann-LaRoche since 2011; Medexus Inc. since 2013;, Merck Canada since 2017, Sandoz Canada, Biopharmaceuticals since 2019,Gilead Sciences Canada since 2020 and Fresenius Kabi Canada Ltd. since 2021. Previously funded by Janssen Biotech from 2011-2016, UCB Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada from 2011-2018, Sanofi Genzyme from 2016-2017, and Eli Lilly Canada from 2016-2020.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS1459-HPR IDENTIFYING MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN THE RA FLARE QUESTIONNAIRE SCORES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

The RA-FQ is a patient-reported measure of current disease activity in RA that can be used to identify disease flares. The RA-FQ queries pain, physical function, fatigue, stiffness, and participation and yields a score from 0-50. We previously reported on reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Objectives:

To identify changes in RA-FQ that represent minimal and meaningful improvement or worsening from the perspective of people with RA, treating rheumatologists, and in relation to disease activity indices. We hypothesized that

Methods:

Data were from adults with early RA (sx <1 year) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort, a prospective study of real-world patients treated across Canada. Participants completed the RA-FQ, Patient Global, and RA transition item since last visit (a little vs. a lot better or worse or same) between consecutive 3- and 6-month visits. Rheumatologists recorded joint counts, MD Global, and change in RA. We compared mean change across improvement and worsening using patient anchors and disease activity indicators.

Results:

The 808 adults were mostly white (84%) women (71%) with a mean (SD) age of 55 (15) and moderate-high CDAI level (85%) at enrollment. Most (79%) reported their RA had changed; 59% were better and 20% worse. Patients who were a lot worse had a mean increase of 8.9 points whereas those who rated themselves as a lot better had a -6.0 decrease on the RA-FQ (Figure 1). Minimal worsening and improvement were associated with 4.7 and -1.8 change in RA-FQ scores, respectively, while patients who rated their RA unchanged had stable RA-FQ scores (Table 1).

Similar changes were evident in CDAI, SDAI, and DAS indices (Table 1). Larger differences were observed with patient vs. physician global scores and tender vs. swollen joints. Across measures, the change associated with worsening was greater than for improvement. Results supported all prespecified hypotheses ab.

Table 1.

Spearman’s correlation coefficients of PsAQoL with the other parameters for construct validity

DomainA Lot Better(N=346; 43%)A Little Better(N=132; 16%)The Same(N=174; 21%)A Little Worse(N=94; 12%)A Lot Worse(N=62; 8%)Δ95% CISDΔ95% CISDΔ95% CISDΔ95% CISDΔ95% CISDRA-FQ Total (0-50)-6.0(-7.1, -4.9)10.3-1.8(-3.2, -0.3)8.4-0.1(-1.3, 1.1)8.14.7(2.9, 6.6)9.18.9(5.1, 12.7)15.0 Pain-1.2(-1.4, -0.9)2.4-0.4(-0.8, 0.0)2.30.0(-0.2, 0.3)1.81.3(0.8, 1.7)2.22.0(1.2, 2.9)3.3 Physical Function-1.3(-1.6, -1.1)2.4-0.3(-0.6, 0.1)2.10.0(-0.3, 0.3)2.10.9(0.4, 1.4)2.41.8(0.8, 2.7)3.7 Fatigue-1.1(-1.4, -0.8)2.6-0.4(-0.7, 0.0)1.90.0(-0.3, 0.3)2.10.7(0.3, 1.1)2.11.3(0.5, 2.1)3.2 Stiffness-1.1(-1.4, -0.9)2.4-0.4(-0.7, 0.0)2.0-0.1(-0.4, 0.2)2.01.1(0.6, 1.5)2.21.8(1.0, 2.7)3.3 Participation-1.2(-1.5, -1.0)2.5-0.1(-0.5, 0.3)2.1-0.1(-0.4, 0.2)2.20.8(0.4, 1.3)2.22.0(1.1, 2.8)3.4Disease ActivityCDAI*-5.3(-6.3, -4.3)9.1-3.3(-5.4, -1.3)11.5-0.8(-2.0, 0.5)8.11.7(-0.1, 3.5)8.86.8(3.7, 9.8)12.0SDAI-5.6(-6.8, -4.4)9.2-3.5(-6.1, -0.9)12.2-1.9(-3.6, -0.2)8.91.5(-0.7, 3.7)9.24.7(1.0, 8.4)12.2DAS28-CRP-0.7(-0.8, -0.6)1.01-0.5(-0.7, -0.2)1.2-0.2(-0.4, 0.0)1.00.3(0.1, 0.5)1.00.5(0.2, 0.9)1.2Patient Global (0-10)-1.3(-1.5, -1.0)2.7-0.5(-0.9, -0.1)2.1-0.1(-0.4, 0.2)2.11.3(0.8, 1.8)2.42.9(2.1, 3.6)3.1MD Global (0-10)-1.2(-1.4, -1.0)1.9-0.7(-1.1, -0.3)-0.1-0.1(-0.4, 0.2)1.90.1(-0.3, 0.5)2.80.7(0.0, 1.5)2.8Swollen Joints (28)-1.4(-1.7, 1.0)3.2-1.0(-1.8, -0.2)4.6-0.4(-0.9, 0.0)3.00.0(-0.7, 0.7)3.41.3(0.2, 2.5)4.6Tender Joints (28)-1.5(-1.9, -1.1)3.9-1.3(-2.2, -0.3)5.50.0(-0.7, 0.6)4.30.3(-0.7, 1.2)4.52.2(0.8, 3.5)5.4

Conclusion:

In this large cohort of adults with ERA, the RA-FQ was responsive to change and generally distinguish between minimal and meaningful improvement and worsening. These data add to a growing evidence demonstrating robust psychometric properties of the RA-FQ and offer initial guidance about the amount of change associated with improvement or worsening, supporting its use in RA care, research and decision-making.

Acknowledgements:

The CATCH study was designed and implemented by the investigators and financially supported through unrestricted research grants from: Amgen and Pfizer Canada - Founding sponsors since January 2007; AbbVie Corporation and Hoffmann-LaRoche since 2011; Medexus Inc. since 2013;, Merck Canada since 2017, Sandoz Canada, Biopharmaceuticals since 2019,Gilead Sciences Canada since 2020 and Fresenius Kabi Canada Ltd. since 2021. Previously funded by Janssen Biotech from 2011-2016, UCB Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada from 2011-2018, Sanofi Genzyme from 2016-2017, and Eli Lilly Canada from 2016-2020.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0267-HPR IDENTIFYING MEANINGFUL AND DETECTABLE CHANGE FROM THE PATIENT PERSPECTIVE ACROSS COMMON FATIGUE MEASURES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Different tools are commonly used to assess fatigue in RA including single items (visual analogue (VAS), numeric rating (NRS), and Likert scales), SF-36 Vitality, and PROMIS. Evidence is needed to identify scores that reflect meaningful change to patients to interpret fatigue results in trials and for clinical care.

Objectives:

To use symptom-specific and RA change anchors to estimate meaningful and detectable change scores from the patient perspective across several fatigue measures.

Methods:

Stable RA patients (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria) were recruited from 3 academic clinical practices across the Southern, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeastern United States. Scales were administered at 2 consecutive visits to capture PROs including fatigue. We also asked a fatigue-specific change question (How would you rate your fatigue since the last visit?). Response options were a lot better, a little better, the same, a little worse, and a lot worse. An RA disease activity change question followed a similar format. We compared mean change between visits across fatigue and RA change categories for the Fatigue NRS, Fatigue 5-point Likert (none to very severe), SF36 Vitality, and PROMIS Fatigue 4a, 7a, and 8a.

Results:

The sample included 282 patients with stable RA who completed questionnaires 4.6 (SD 2.4) months apart. Patients were mostly white (78%) women (82%) with RA duration of 13 (11) years. At V1, most were in CDAI LDA (57%) or MDA (30%) with 5% in REM and 8% in HDA states. Using the Fatigue change anchor, 6% were a lot better, with mean change ranging from |1-11|points across scales (Table 1); among 13% a little better, smaller changes |0.4 to 5|were reported. Across all measures score changes for meaningful and minimal improvement were numerically larger for improvement than worsening.

Fatigue Change CategoriesLot Better 6%Little Better 13%Same 49%Little Worse 22%Lot Worse 10%NMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDFatigue 11 point NRS19-2.22.437-0.72.3137-0.51.9610.41.9261.32.1Fatigue 5-point Likert19-0.81.236-0.41.21370.00.9600.20.9270.61.2SF36 Vitality (0-100)1911.216.1364.913.71370.310.659-3.215.326-11.416.6PROMIS Fatigue 7a19-5.98.537-2.67.51380.06.462-0.36.5274.38.3PROMIS Fatigue 8a19-6.110.237-2.77.1138-0.37.1621.36.9275.611.0PROMIS Fatigue 4a19-6.89.937-3.38.2138-0.47.4601.27.2275.211.5

Using the RA change categories, more people rated their RA as at least a little better compared with fatigue (28% vs. 19%, respectively) at the second visit (Table 2). Similar patterns were evident across RA change categories, though score changes associated with improvement and worsening were about half those observed using fatigue change anchors.

RA Disease Activity Change CategoriesLot Better13%Little Better15%Same42%Little Worse21%Lot Worse9%NMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDNMeanSDFatigue 11 point NRS36-0.82.343-0.62.7117-0.21.958-0.21.9260.72.2Fatigue 5-point Likert35-0.31.242-0.31.11180.11.0580.10.8260.31.3SF36 Vitality (0-100)356.417.4433.813.0117-0.612.957-3.711.325-6.017.0PROMIS Fatigue 7a37-1.69.543-1.57.4118-0.37.0590.55.6261.37.5PROMIS Fatigue 8a37-2.19.543-1.79.01180.17.6590.74.8263.011.4PROMIS Fatigue 4a36-2.79.643-2.39.01180.18.1590.45.6252.612.0

Conclusion:

The score change associated with meaningful improvement and worsening between visits on commonly used fatigue scales was much larger with fatigue vs. RA change categories. More people rated their RA improved as compared with fatigue at the 2nd visit. Symptom-specific anchors are likely to offer more relevant change scores associated with meaningful improvement and worsening than RA change anchors. These estimates offer new information about meaningful and detectable improvement and worsening on common measures for trialists, researchers, and clinicians monitoring fatigue in people with RA.

Acknowledgements:

The primary research data included within this report were acquired through funding in part from a PCORI Methods Award (SC14-1402-10818). This work was also supported by the NIH through the Rheumatic Diseases Resource-based Core Center (P30-AR053503 Core D, and P30-AR070254, Core B), the Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund, and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Discovery Fund.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0531 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BASELINE HYPERTENSION IN EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: DATA FROM A REAL-WORLD LARGE INCIDENT COHORT

Background:

It is not well understood why hypertension (HTN) is so common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Reported prevalence of HTN in RA patients ranges from 4-73%.(1)

Objectives:

This study explored the prevalence of HTN at time of RA diagnosis and which demographic, behavioural and clinical factors were associated with HTN.

Methods:

Data from the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH), a prospective inception cohort of patients with RA <1 year duration, were used to analyze baseline demographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics associated with HTN, which was reported by physicians. Univariate logistic regression models were created to explore associations with baseline HTN. A multivariate logistic regression model was built based on goodness of fit indicated by likelihood ratio tests. Variables included in the model were age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking, alcohol servings, seropositivity, disease activity and comorbidities.

Results:

In total, 2052 subjects were included with mean (±SD) age of 55 (±14) years and symptom duration 5.60(5.47, 5.73) months, 71% of subjects were female and 85% were Caucasian. HTN was reported in 26% of subjects at baseline. Hypertensive subjects were older and more likely to be male. Other factors significantly associated with HTN at baseline were lower education, ever smoking, high BMI, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, worse RA disease activity, longer duration of RA symptoms, being seropositive, as well as the use of NSAIDs and/or corticosteroids (Table 1). In multivariable analysis HTN was associated with older age, overweight and obese BMI, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Expression of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies was inversely associated with HTN (Table 1). Other RA disease factors and treatments were not significantly associated with HTN on multivariable analysis.

Table 1.

Results of univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses exploring the association between baseline characteristics and HTN in early RA.

Univariate Logistic RegressionMultivariable Logistic RegressionVariableCrude OR (95% CI)Adjusted OR (95% CI)Socio-Demographic20-39 years old0.15 (0.07, 0.26)0.14(0.05, 0.34)40-59 years oldReference60-79 years old2.81 (2.26, 3.50)2.26(1.65, 3.11)80-99 years old5.87 (3.36,10.25)3.80(1.53, 9.41)Female0.55 (0.45, 0.68)1.10(0.78, 1.54)Lifestyle/BehaviouralNormal weight (18.5- 24.9kg/m2)ReferenceOverweight (25-29.9 kg/m2)2.33(1.74, 3.11)1.63(1.10, 2.43)Obese (30+ kg/m2)3.19(2.38, 4.27)2.84(1.91, 4.23Ever-smoking1.41(1.15, 1.73)1.02(0.75, 1.40)Post-secondary education0.58(0.47, 0.71)0.88(0.65, 1.20)Clinical CharacteristicsSymptom duration0.99(0.99, 0.99)1.00(1.00, 1.00)DAS-281.09(1.09, 1.17)1.02(0.92, 1.13)ACPA+0.68(0.56, 0.85)0.64(0.44, 0.92)Corticosteroid use pre-baseline1.37(1.04, 1.81)OmittedNSAID use at baseline0.68(0.55, 0.84)OmittedDiabetes5.62(4.09, 7.73)3.20(1.99, 5.15)Hyperlipidemia4.75(3.74, 6.03)2.80(1.94, 4.02),CVD15.59(3.35, 72.64)Omitted

DAS-28; Disease activity score 28, ACPA; Anti-citrullinated protein antibody, CVD; Cardiovascular disease. Pre-baseline is 29 to 365 days before entering the cohort. Baseline is within 28 days before entering the cohort. Omitted variables either failed likelihood ratio test or were colinear. Additional variables tested but found insignificant: race, alcohol servings, depression, RF+, and use of DMARDs.

Conclusion:

Approximately 1 in 4 diagnosed with RA had HTN reported by their rheumatologists, which is similar to that of the general population. This suggests that increased risk of HTN in RA patients may develop as RA disease or treatment time progresses. Factors that may be predictive of this excess risk will be explored in further analysis.

References:

[1]Panoulas VF, Metsios GS, Pace AV, et al. Hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2008;47:1286-98.

Acknowledgements:

The CATCH study was designed and implemented by the investigators and financially supported through unrestricted research grants from: Amgen and Pfizer Canada - Founding sponsors since January 2007; AbbVie Corporation and Hoffmann-LaRoche since 2011; Medexus Inc. since 2013;, Merck Canada since 2017, Sandoz Canada, Biopharmaceuticals since 2019,Gilead Sciences Canada since 2020 and Fresenius Kabi Canada Ltd. since 2021. Previously funded by Janssen Biotech from 2011-2016, UCB Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada from 2011-2018, Sanofi Genzyme from 2016-2017, and Eli Lilly Canada from 2016-2020.

Disclosure of Interests:

Brook Hadwen: None declared, Saverio Stranges: None declared, Neil Klar: None declared, Kuriya Bindee: None declared, Janet Pope Speakers bureau: UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, BMS, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB;, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, BMS, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Gilles Boire Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Janssen, Grant/research support from: Amgen, Abbvie, BMS, Eli Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, Louis Bessette Speakers bureau: Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Roche, UCB, AbbVie, Pfizer, Merck, Celgene, Sanofi, Lilly, Novartis, Consultant of: Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Roche, UCB, AbbVie, Pfizer, Merck, Celgene, Sanofi, Lilly, Novartis., Grant/research support from: Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Roche, UCB, AbbVie, Pfizer, Merck, Celgene, Sanofi, Lilly, Novartis., Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: Pfizer and UCB Canada, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Edward Keystone Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Consultant of:: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion, Myriad Autoimmune, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme, Samsung Bioepsis, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, PuraPharm, Sanofi, Orit Schieir: None declared, Carter Thorne Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer, Grant/research support from: Amgen, Pfizer, Abbvie, Celgene, CaREBiodam, Novartis, Diane Tin: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Vivian Bykerk Consultant of: Amgen, BMS, Gilead, Sanofi-Genzyme/Regeneron, Scipher, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, UCB, NIH, Lillian Barra: None declared

Health Assessment Questionnaire at One Year Predicts All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Higher self-reported disability (high Health Assessment Questionnaire [HAQ] score) has been associated with hospitalizations and mortality in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but associations in early RA are unknown.

METHODS

Patients with early RA (symptom duration <1 year) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort who initiated disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and had completed HAQ data at baseline and 1 year were included in the study. Discrete-time proportional hazards models were used to estimate crude and multi-adjusted associations of baseline HAQ and HAQ at 1 year with all-cause mortality in each year of follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 1,724 patients with early RA were included. The mean age was 55 years, and 72% were women. Over 10 years, 62 deaths (3.6%) were recorded. Deceased patients had higher HAQ scores at baseline (mean ± SD 1.2 ± 0.7) and at 1 year (0.9 ± 0.7) than living patients (1.0 ± 0.7 and 0.5 ± 0.6, respectively; P < 0.001). Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) was higher in deceased versus living patients at baseline (mean ± SD 5.4 ± 1.3 versus 4.9 ± 1.4) and at 1 year (mean ± SD 3.6 ± 1.4 versus 2.8 ± 1.4) (P < 0.001). Older age, male sex, lower education level, smoking, more comorbidities, higher baseline DAS28, and glucocorticoid use were associated with mortality. Contrary to HAQ score at baseline, the association between all-cause mortality and HAQ score at 1 year remained significant even after adjustment for confounders. For baseline HAQ score, the unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.46 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02-2.09), and the adjusted HR was 1.25 (95% CI 0.81-1.94). For HAQ score at 1 year, the unadjusted HR was 2.58 (95% CI 1.78-3.72), and the adjusted HR was 1.75 (95% CI 1.10-2.77).

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that higher HAQ score and DAS28 at 1 year are significantly associated with all-cause mortality in a large early RA cohort.

SAT0127 REAL-WORLD PREDICTORS OF STARTING DIFFERENT ADVANCED DMARD TREATMENTS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATION FROM THE CANADIAN EARLY ARTHRITIS COHORT (CATCH) GROUP

Background:

RA patients with inadequate DMARD response may be treated with a TNF inhibitor (TNFi), non-TNFi or janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) [1].

Objectives:

Compare characteristics of real-world early RA (ERA) patients starting TNFi, non-TNFi, and JAKi post DMARD failure.

Methods:

Data were analyzed from early RA patients (symptoms < 1 year) enrolled in CATCH who started TNFi, non-TNFi or JAKi as first line advanced therapy from 2014 to 2019. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and chi-square tests summarized and compared secular trends and patient characteristics initiating each class of therapy. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were done.

Results:

246 participants started advanced therapy during the study period; (75%) female, mean(SD) age 50(14) years. First line prescriptions for JAKi increased and TNFi decreased (Fig. 1). Those receiving JAKi had longer disease duration, fewer tender joints, and lower DAS28, CDAI, ESR, MD global (all p <0.05) (Table 1). The strongest predictor of starting JAKi was province (Ontario where access is preferential for JAKi and biosimilar TNFi) (Table 2). Those prescribed TNFi had shorter disease duration, younger age, fewer comorbidities, and treatment location outside Ontario (Table 1,2). Those starting non-TNFi had higher DAS28; predictors included older age, higher education, and more comorbidities (Table 1,2).

Table 1.

Characteristics prior to starting advanced therapy

VariableTotal Sample(N = 246)JAKi(N = 61)TNFi(N = 153)Non-TNFi(N = 32)p-value£Disease duration (months) mean (SD)39 (34.1)50.8 (39.3)32.5 (29.1)48 (38.6)0.0006DAS28 (ESR - CRP if ESR was missing) mean (SD)4.2 (1.4)3.6 (1.4)4.3 (1.4)4.8 (1.5)0.0012CDAI mean (SD)21.5 (14.8)16.5 (13.7)22.9 (14.8)24.8 (14.9)0.0089Tender joint count (0-28), median (IQR)§4 (7)2 (6)5 (8)6 (9)0.0224ESR median (IQR)§13 (20)12 (13)13 (20)28.0 (23.5)0.0448MD Global (0-10) mean (SD)4.2 (2.7)3.2 (2.7)4.4 (2.6)4.8 (2.8)0.0030

§IQR: 75 – 25 percentile

£p-value: ANOVA for continuous variable, chi-square for categorical

Table 2.

Multinomial regression for initiating advanced DMARD therapy

Disease stage & Clinical Disease ActivityAdvanced DMARDAdjusted for Age, sex, education, comorbidityFullyAdjustedφNon-TNF vs TNFJAK vsTNFNon-TNF vs TNFJAK vsTNFAge1.01 (0.98, 1.05)1.01 (0.99, 1.04)1.01 (0.97, 1.05)1.02 (0.99, 1.05)Women vs Men1.98 (0.71, 5.58)1.33 (0.63, 2.80)2.35 (0.76, 7.27)1.72 (0.73, 4.02)Education(< HS vs ≥ HS)2.92 (1.28, 6.63)1.49 (0.78, 2.86)2.83 (1.12, 7.15)2.08 (0.97, 4.47)RDCI baseline1.35 (1.01, 1.81)1.21 (0.95, 1.53)1.30 (0.95, 1.78)1.23 (0.94, 1.60)Private Insurance(No vs Yes)NINI1.26 (0.47, 3.40)0.99 (0.44, 2.25)RF PositiveNINI1.47 (0.56, 3.85)1.84 (0.82, 4.12)CDAININI1.01 (0.98, 1.04)0.97 (0.94, 1.00)RegionQuebec vs Ontario (ON)NINI0.59 (0.20, 1.72)0.44 (0.20, 0.94)West vs ONNINI1.32 (0.29, 5.98)0.11 (0.01, 0.99)

φAdjusted for; baseline age, sex, education, RDCI; province; RF positive in first year; private insurance; CDAI at visit prior to initiation

Conclusion:

Patient and physician related factors (location of practice) determined which advanced therapeutic was prescribed. JAKi use is increasing in ERA.

Reference:

[1]Smolen JS, Landewé RBM, Bijlsma JWJ, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases Published Online First: 22 January 2020

Disclosure of Interests:

Madina Weiler: None declared, Orit Schieir: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion,

Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly

Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Diane Tin: None declared, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer

, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Vivian Bykerk: None declared, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB

FRI0030 MORE THAN HALF OF NEWLY DIAGNOSED RA PATIENTS ARE NOT CONVINCED OF THE NECESSITY OF RA MEDICINES: ASSOCIATIONS WITH RA CHARACTERISTICS, SYMPTOMS, AND FUNCTION IN THE CANADIAN EARLY ARTHRITIS COHORT (CATCH)

Background:

Although DMARDs are essential for early aggressive control of RA to reduce symptoms and disability, medication adherence is variable. Beliefs about the necessity of medications and safety concerns predict adherence and are modifiable.

Objectives:

To examine associations among RA medication necessity beliefs and concerns, sociodemographics, RA characteristics, symptom level and function in newly diagnosed RA patients.

Methods:

Baseline data were analyzed from participants in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) who enrolled between 2017-2020 and completed the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire (BMQ) and PROMIS-29. All met ACR1987 or 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria and had active RA at enrollment. BMQ Necessity (N) and Concerns (C) scores were classified ashigh(≥20) orlow(<20) and categorized into: Accepting (↑N ↓C); Ambivalent (↑N↑C); Sceptical (↓N↑C); and 4) Indifferent (↓N↓C). Groups were compared using ANOVA and chi-square tests.

Results:

The 362 patients were mostly white (83%) women (66%) with a mean (SD) age of 56 (15), symptom duration of 6 (3) months, and 32% were obese (BMI≥30). More than half (56%) were DMARD-naive or minimally exposed. Mean N and C scores were similar between men and women; 54% were classified asIndifferent, 31%Accepting, 9%Ambivalent,and 6%Sceptical.

As compared to those classified asAccepting, moreIndifferent participantssmoked, had a healthy weight, lower TJCs, and trend for lower CDAI (Table). Groups were similar by sociodemographics, symptom duration, and DMARD/steroid use, except fewerIndifferentpatients received MTX.Indifferentpatients had statistically and meaningfully lower patient global, depression, anxiety, fatigue and pain interference, and higher function and participation scores (Table).

Conclusion:

Many new RA patients had low medication necessity beliefs and concerns, and only 31% had high necessity beliefs and low concerns around diagnosis. Lifestyle and lower CDAI, TJCs, symptoms and functional impacts were associated with RA medication indifference. Identifying medication indifference can prompt discussions about medication beliefs/concerns to facilitate shared decision-making and adherence.

Disclosure of Interests:

Viviane Ta: None declared, Orit Schieir: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Diane Tin: None declared, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion, Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Vivian Bykerk: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie

OP0263-HPR MAJOR STRESSORS IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO RA DIAGNOSIS: IMPACT ON PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES ONE YEAR LATER

Background:

Stress is implicated in RA onset and poorer prognoses through changes in neuro-endocrine and autoimmune function. Although many people with RA link disease onset to recent stressful life events, results from retrospective studies are unclear.

Objectives:

To describe the incidence of major stressors(+STRESS) in year prior to diagnosis and compare characteristics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of newly diagnosed RA patients with and without+STRESSat 0 and 12 months.

Methods:

Data were from early RA patients (symptoms <1 yr) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) from 2007-17 who met 1987/2010 ACR/EULAR criteria and had ≥12 months of follow-up. Patients reported major psychological (death, divorce/separation, family, financial, other) and physical (motor vehicle accident, surgery, major illness/infection, other) stressors in previous year. We used independent t-tests and chi square to compare characteristics by stressors at baseline, and multivariable regression to examine the impact of+STRESSon disease activity and PROs at 1 year, adjusting for age, sex, education, fibromyalgia, and SJC.

Results:

The 1933 adults were mostly female (72%), with a mean (SD) age of 55 (15) years. 52% reported 1+ stressors in previous year; family (48%), financial stress (36%), death (35%), surgery (28%), and major illness (26%) were the most common stressors. Patients with +STRESS were more likely to be women, younger, have more comorbidities including fibromyalgia, and higher mean DAS28. Patients with +STRESS also had significantly higher mean pain, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance, patient global, and HAQ scores at baseline.

At 1 year, SJC and the proportion in DAS28 REM was similar between groups. However, PROs (pain, HAQ, Fatigue, Pt Global, Depression, Poor Sleep) remained higher in+STRESS, with evidence of an additive effect for number of stressors and having both physical and psychological stressors (Table). The greatest impacts were on mood, sleep disturbance, and fatigue.

Conclusion:

In this pan-Canadian early RA cohort, more than half reported 1+ stressful life events in the year prior to diagnosis. Individuals reporting major stressors had significantly worse pain, patient global, disability, depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbance at diagnosis; 1 year later, though disease activity was similar between groups, the effects of +STRESS on PROs persisted. Early RA patients with recent major stressors may benefit from emotional support and stress reduction to optimize how they feel and function.

Mean (SD) or N (%)No Stress(N=928; 48%)Physical(N=131; 7%)Psychological(N=658; 34%)Both(N=216; 11%)Age56 (15)56 (15)53 (14)52 (15)Women622 (67%)82 (63%)512 (78%)174 (81%)College Education464 (50%)76 (58%)345 (52%)126 (58%)Rheum Dis Comorbid Index1.1 (1.2)1.4 (1.4)1.1 (1.3)1.4 (1.3)OA or Spinal pain168 (18%)35 (27%)117 (18%)55 (25%)Fibromyalgia diagnosis15 (2%)2 (2%)13 (2%)11 (5%)Symptom duration (months)5.6 (3.0)5.7 (3.0)5.9 (3.0)5.9 (3.0)DAS28 – mean5.0 (1.4)5.1 (1.5)5.0 (1.5)5.2 (1.4)MTX ±csDMARDs679 (73%)100 (76%)489 (74%)166 (77%)Oral Steroids295 (32%)40 (31%)215 (33%)55 (25%)Pain (0-10)5.3 (2.8)5.5 (2.9)5.7 (2.8)6.2 (2.8)HAQ-DI1.0 (0.7)1.2 (0.7)1.1 (0.7)1.3 (0.7)Fatigue (0-10)4.7 (3.1)5.0 (3.0)5.7 (2.9)5.9 (2.9)Patient Global (0-10)5.6 (2.9)6.0 (2.9)6.0 (2.9)6.4 (3.0)Depression (SF12 MCS < 45.6)329 (35%)54 (41%)356 (54%)123 (57%)Poor sleep (0-10)4.5 (3.4)4.8 (3.3)5.3 (3.2)6.0 (3.1)

Disclosure of Interests:

Nicole Andersen: None declared, Orit Schieir: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Diane Tin: None declared, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer

Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion,

Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly

Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Vivian Bykerk: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie

FRI0024 HOW OFTEN DOES REACHING TARGET MISS THE MARK? LONGITUDINAL PATTERNS OF REMISSION IN REAL-WORLD EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Background:

Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of DMARDs following a treat-to-target approach have made remission a realizable goal for many with RA. Yet, some patients are unable to sustain remission over time.

Objectives:

To describe longitudinal patterns of remission and identify predictors of sustained vs transient remission in real-world early RA patients.

Methods:

Data were from the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH), a prospective study of early RA patients (symptoms < 1 year) treated in rheumatology clinics across Canada from 2007- 2019. The sample was limited to patients with active disease at enrolment who later reached remission (SDAI<=3.3) and were followed for 12-24 months thereafter. Patients were classified as in sustained remission (Pattern 1) or transient remission with transient remission patients divided into those who transitioned from REM to LDA only (Pattern 2) and those who transitioned from REM to MDA or HDA (Pattern 3), over FU. Multi-adjusted multinomial regression was used to identify predictors of transient remission patterns.

Results:

The study included 1,419 (46%) CATCH participants that reached remission. At enrolment, most (70%) were female, mean(sd) SDAI was high (27(15)) and 92% were treated with csDMARDs. Only 47% remained in sustained remission by 12-months and, only 40% by 24 months (Pattern 1) (Figure). Among patients with transient remission patterns, transitions to LDA only (Pattern 2) were more common than to MDA/HDA over FU (Pattern 3) (Fig 1). Older age, female sex, smoking, higher comorbidity index and positive serology, were significantly associated with transient remission patterns (Table). There were also borderline significant associations between transient remission patterns and longer time to remission, lack of early MTX treatment and reducing treatment after remission (Table).

Table .

Adjusted Multinomial Regression Results of Predictors of Transient Remission Patterns over 24-Month Follow Up

Pattern 2 vs, Pattern 1OR (95% CI)Pattern 3 vs. Pattern 1OR (95% CI)Age1.01 (1.00, 1.02)1.01 (0.99, 1.02)Women vs Men1.78 (1.33, 2.39)1.63 (1.09, 2.44)Current smoker1.57 (1.09, 2.28)1.53 (0.95, 2.47)RDCI at baseline1.11 (0.99, 1.25)1.30 (1.13, 1.50)Seropositive1.38 (1.03, 1.85)1.21 (0.81, 1.80)MTX first 3 months1.18 (0.85, 1.63)0.76 (0.51, 1.12)Time to remission (months)1.01 (1.00, 1.01)1.01 (1.00, 1.02)Treatment reduction after REM vs. No Change1.33 (0.96, 1.86)1.01 (0.99, 1.02)

  Pattern 1: Sustained REM

  Pattern 2: Transient REM: Transitions to LDA only

  Pattern 3: Transient REM: Transitions to MDA/HDA

   RDCI: Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (range 0-9)

  Treatment reduction: Change from biologic or JAK to csDMARD(s) OR reduction in number of csDMARDs OR change from MTX +/- csDMARDs to non-MTX csDMARD

Figure.

Distribution of Disease Activity States over 12-24 After First Achieving SDAI REM

Conclusion:

Results of this large longitudinal analysis of real-world data suggests that < 50% of patients that reach remission sustain remission for 12-24months. Closer monitoring of patients with prognostic indicators for transient remission and additional research focusing on why remission is lost may help improve the rates of sustained remission.

References:

[1]Ajeganova S, Huizinga T. Sustained remission in rheumatoid arthritis: latest evidence and clinical considerations. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2017;9(10):249-62.

Disclosure of Interests:

Orit Schieir: None declared, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion, Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Diane Tin: None declared, Vivian Bykerk: None declared

FRI0032 REGIONAL AND WIDESPREAD PATTERNS OF NON-ARTICULAR PAIN ARE COMMON AT RA DIAGNOSIS AND CONTRIBUTE TO POOR OUTCOMES AT 12 MONTHS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PAIN PATTERNS IN CANADIANS WITH RA

Background:

Persistent pain can occur in early RA patients, despite improvement in synovitis and may be due to coexisting non-articular pain (NAP). Though NAP is often attributed to fibromyalgia and widespread NAP, regional NAP syndromes may be more common and under-recognized.

Objectives:

To describe patterns of NAP, predictors of persistent NAP and impact on outcomes in the first year following early RA diagnosis.

Methods:

Data were from participants enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) between2017-2019who completed 0,6,12-month evaluations with patient-reported outcomes [PROs] and clinical data available. We used the McGill Body Pain Diagram (BPD) to classify patients as experiencing no NAP, regional (RP:1-2 regions) or widespread NAP (WP:3-5 regions). Multinomial regression was used to identify baseline predictors of persistent RP and WP at 12-months. Multi-adjusted GEE with linear and logit links were used to estimate time-varying associations of NAP patterns with outcomes updated at each time point.

Results:

Study included 421 participants: 66% were female, with a mean(sd) age 56 (14); 72% were seropositive and 90% were treated with MTX ± csDMARDs as initial therapy. NAP at baseline was common (55%), with majority (62%) reporting regional NAP. NAP prevalence was 33% at 12 months (Figure). Female sex and baseline depressive symptoms were independent predictors of widespread NAP at 12 months while poorer function and lack of early MTX treatment independently predicted regional NAP, at 12 mos. Regional and widespread NAP were associated with lower likelihood of remission in adjusted models that accounted for changes in NAP and remission over time (Table).

Figure.

Point prevalence of regional and widespread NAP at baseline, 6 and 12 months.

Table .

Results of Multi-Adjusted GEE Logistic Regression showing Regional and Widespread NAP is associated with a reduced likelihood of achieving Stringent Remission Targets

Conclusion:

NAP is commonly reported in early RA pts seen in real world settings. Regional NAP was more common than WSP at all time-points, but both NAP patterns were associated lower odds of achieving remission targets by 12 months. These data support considering the role of NAP when assessing RA treatment efficacy during clinical visits and warrant different treatment approaches to reduce symptoms in RA patients receiving target-based care.

Disclosure of Interests:

Vivian Bykerk: None declared, Orit Schieir: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion,

Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly

Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Diane Tin: None declared, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie

THU0565 RESEARCHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON ADHERENCE INTERVENTION RESEARCH AND OUTCOMES IN RHEUMATOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL QUALITATIVE STUDY

Background:

Medication non-adherence is a significant problem among patients with rheumatic diseases. Research on adherence interventions in rheumatology is limited and disappointing, with studies using heterogeneous outcomes. Understanding these limitations is needed to inform the design of better interventions and research studies.

Objectives:

To describe researchers’ perspectives and experiences on adherence intervention research and outcomes in rheumatology.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews using video conference were conducted with researchers who had been an investigator on an adherence study of any design in the past 10 years. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were asked about their experiences with conducting adherence research and perspectives on introduction of a core domain set of outcomes for adherence intervention trials in rheumatology. Data collection and thematic analysis were conducted iteratively, until saturation.

Results:

We interviewed 13 researchers from seven countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Netherland, Thailand, UK, and USA). A majority worked in academia (75%), specialized in epidemiology and/or health services research (62%) and had led between 2-5 adherence studies in the past five years (62%).

Three themes were identified:1) challenges in designing, conducting and evaluating adherence studies;2) current outcomes in adherence intervention studies and their relevance; and3) implementing a core domain set of outcomes for adherence intervention studies.

Major challenges in conducting adherence research included inconsistent adherence terminology and measurement. Participants noted a lack of guidance on outcome selection and measurement when evaluating the effectiveness of an adherence intervention and indicated their preference for research to report adherence, intervention-specific, and health-related outcomes. Finally, implementing a core domain set of outcomes was thought to be challenging but valuable in strengthening the evidence (by facilitating meta-analysis), and improving clinical outcomes (by informing clinicians about the effectiveness of interventions).

Conclusion:

Adherence research in rheumatology has been hindered by lack of standardization and guidance on terminology, measurement and outcome selection. Our findings form the basis for recommendations for improving the design, conduct and evaluation of adherence intervention studies in rheumatology, particularly for developing a core domain set of outcomes to improve consistency and facilitate comparisons.

Table 1.

Themes and representative quotations.

Theme 1: Challenges in designing, conducting and evaluating studies of adherence interventions“…the people you often most want in your sample are the people who are non-adherent and often the people who are non-adherent are the people who are hardest to recruit.”“Long term the issue has been about measurements because people confuse and conflate various aspects of medication adherence.Theme 2: Current outcomes in adherence intervention studies and their relevance“you have a whole range of outcomes…psychological outcomes…there’s measures of health care utilization and things like attendance at hospital, nurse appointments and duration, things like times off work,, and also all the relevant clinical outcomes.”Theme 3: Implementing a core domain set of outcomes for adherence intervention studies“…will make trials more comparable and increase the likelihood that you’d be able to combine efforts internationally”

Disclosure of Interests:

Shahrzad Salmasi: None declared, Ayano Kelly: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Maarten de Wit Grant/research support from: Dr. de Wit reports personal fees from Ely Lilly, 2019, personal fees from Celgene, 2019, personal fees from Pfizer, 2019, personal fees from Janssen-Cilag, 2017, outside the submitted work., Consultant of: Dr. de Wit reports personal fees from Ely Lilly, 2019, personal fees from Celgene, 2019, personal fees from Pfizer, 2019, personal fees from Janssen-Cilag, 2017, outside the submitted work., Speakers bureau: Dr. de Wit reports personal fees from Ely Lilly, 2019, personal fees from Celgene, 2019, personal fees from Pfizer, 2019, personal fees from Janssen-Cilag, 2017, outside the submitted work., Lyn March: None declared, Allison Tong: None declared, Peter Tugwell: None declared, Kathleen Tymms: None declared, Suzanne Verstappen Grant/research support from: BMS, Consultant of: Celltrion, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Mary De Vera: None declared

SAT0053 ESTIMATING REAL-WORLD UNMET NEEDS FOR REACHING REMISSION IN THE FIRST YEAR FOLLOWING EARLY RA DIAGNOSIS: RESULTS FROM THE CANADIAN EARLY ARTHRITIS COHORT (CATCH)

Background:

Several composite RA disease activity indices are commonly used in clinical practice and research. Different disease activity indices however can be inconsistent in classifying remission (REM).

Objectives:

1) Compare remission prevalence across 4 common RA indices; 2) compare changes in remission across indices; and, 3) Identify predictors of persistent active disease across all indices, in real-world early RA patients over 1 year follow up.

Methods:

Data were from patients with early RA (symptoms < 1 year) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) between 2007 and 2018. Participants had active disease at enrolment, were treated with csDMARDs and completed standardized clinical assessments every 3-months. Remission status was assessed using 4 indices: 1) DAS28< 2.6 OR DAS28CRP < 2.5, 2) CDAI ≤ 2.8, 3) SDAI≤ 3.3, and 4) ACR/EULAR Boolean remission – SJC28, TJC28, CRP, PGA all ≦1. T-tests/ chi-squared tests were used to compare differences in remission prevalence by 1 year, and changes in remission before and after a QI program. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of persistent active disease on all 4 indices.

Results:

1202 adults were eligible for this analysis. At enrolment, 877 (73%) were women, mean (sd) age was 55 (14), average disease activity was high (DAS28 5.1 (1.4); CDAI 27 (14); SDAI 29 (15)). Prevalence of remission by 12-months follow up was 14-21% higher when estimated with the DAS28 compared with CDAI, SDAI and Boolean criteria, and 378 (31%) did not achieve remission according to any of the 4 indices (Fig 1). Improvement in remission after a QI program however was similar across all 4 indices(~+15-17%). In adjusted logistic regression, Persistent active disease across all measures was most strongly associated with positive serostatus and smoking in men, and with obesity and more tender joints in women. Pain and lower education were predictors in BOTH men and women (Table 2)

Table 1.

Multivariable Logistic Regression Predicting Persistent Active Disease by 12-months across ALL RA indices

Conclusion:

In the absence of a single “best measure” that also takes in to account the patient’s perspective, we estimate unmet needs for achieving remission in the first year of follow up in 1 in 3 ERA patients who did not achieve remission by ANY of the 4 indices.

References:

[1] Kuriya B, Sun Y, Boire G, Haraoui B, etal. Remission in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Comparison of New ACR/EULAR Remission Criteria to Established Criteria.J Rheumatol2012;39:1155-1158.

Disclosure of Interests:

Orit Schieir: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion,

Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly

Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer

, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Diane Tin: None declared, Vivian Bykerk: None declared

FRI0037 ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY IN EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PREDICTED BY HEALTH ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE AT ONE YEAR

Background:

Patients with RA are at greater risk of mortality than the general population. Higher HAQ disability has been associated with hospitalizations and mortality in established RA; whether HAQ disability predicts mortality in early RA (ERA) is unknown.

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to analyze how well the HAQ can predict future mortality in patients with early RA.

Methods:

Data were from adult early RA patients (symptoms <1 year) enrolled in the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) between 2007 and 2017; who initiated treatment with 1 or more DMARDs and had completed HAQ data at baseline and 1 year. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and chi-square tests were used to summarize and compare baseline patient characteristics including sociodemographic variables, RA characteristics and comorbidities amongst deceased and non-deceased patients. Discrete-time proportional hazards models were used to estimate crude and multi-adjusted associations between HAQ at baseline and 1 year, respectively, with all-cause mortality in each year of follow up.

Results:

This study included 1724 patients with early RA; mean age was 55 years and 72% were female. In 10 years of follow up, 62 deaths (2.4%) occurred. Deceased patients had higher HAQ scores and DAS28 scores at baseline and at 1 year versus the non-deceased group. Age, male sex, lower education, smoking, more comorbidities, higher baseline disease activity and steroid use were associated with mortality in unadjusted survival models (Table 1). Contrary to HAQ at baseline, the association between all-cause mortality and HAQ at 1 year remained significant even after adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, disease activity, smoking, education, seropositivity, symptom duration and steroid use in adjusted survival models (Table 2).

Table 1.

Unadjusted survival model: Association of each variable with all-cause mortality

Baseline VariableUnadjustedHazard OR95% CISocio-DemographicAge (years)1.101.07 – 1.13Female0.370.22 – 0.62Caucasian (white or European)1.010.46 – 2.24Aboriginal1.710.61 – 4.76Education > high school degree0.480.28 – 0.82Current Smoker1.811.01 – 3.24Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (0-9)1.601.36 – 1.87RA CharacteristicsSymptom duration (months)0.990.91 – 1.08Seropositivity in first year1.110.55 – 2.23DAS28 ESR or CRP if ESR is missing1.261.06 – 1.51Oral Steroid use1.751.03 – 2.98Table 2.

Multivariable discrete-time survival models: HAQ baseline vs 1 year

ModelModel 1:Crude(Time + HAQ-DI)Model 2:Adjusted for age + sexModel 3:Adjusted for Model 2 + DAS28 + RDCIModel 4:Adjusted for Model 3 + education, smoking, seropositivity, symptom duration and oral steroids useModel 5:Adjusted for Model 3 + smoking, symptom duration onlyHAQ-DI (0-3) (at baseline)1.461.02 – 2.091.370.96 – 1.951.250.81 – 1.941.320.85 – 2.041.300.84 – 2.00HAQ-DI (0-3) (at 1 year)2.581.78 – 3.722.401.63 – 3.521.751.10 – 2.771.871.16 – 3.021.731.09 – 2.74

*Hazard OR, 95% CI

~HAQ-DI: (Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index); RDCI: Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index; DAS28: Disease Activity Score

Conclusion:

Higher HAQ at 1 year was significantly associated with all-cause mortality in a large early RA cohort suggesting that poorer disease control and function in the first year of RA contributes to higher mortality.

Disclosure of Interests:

Safoora Fatima: None declared, Orit Schieir: None declared, Marie-France Valois: None declared, Susan J. Bartlett Consultant of: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB, Lilly, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Abbvie, Louis Bessette Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Gilles Boire Grant/research support from: Merck Canada (Registry of biologices, Improvement of comorbidity surveillance)

Amgen Canada (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Abbvie (CATCH, clinical nurse)

Pfizer (CATCH, Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse)

Hoffman-LaRoche (CATCH)

UCB Canada (CATCH, Clinical nurse)

BMS (CATCH, Clinical nurse, Observational Study Protocol IM101664. SEROPOSITIVITY IN A LARGE CANADIAN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT)

Janssen (CATCH)

Celgene (Clinical nurse)

Eli Lilly (Registry of biologics, Clinical nurse), Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Merck, BMS, Pfizer, Glen Hazlewood: None declared, Carol Hitchon Grant/research support from: UCB Canada; Pfizer Canada, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca Pharma, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celltrion,

Crescendo Bioscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, Genentech Inc, Gilead, Janssen Inc, Lilly

Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, UCB., Speakers bureau: Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Janssen Inc., Merck, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, Diane Tin: None declared, Carter Thorne Consultant of: Abbvie, Centocor, Janssen, Lilly, Medexus/Medac, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Medexus/Medac, Vivian Bykerk: None declared, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Merck, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eicos Sciences, Eli Lilly & Company, Emerald, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Speakers bureau: UCB

A catalyst for transforming health systems and person-centred care: Canadian national position statement on patient-reported outcomes

Background

Patient-reported outcomes (pros) are essential to capture the patient's perspective and to influence care. Although pros and pro measures are known to have many important benefits, they are not consistently being used and there is there no Canadian pros oversight. The Position Statement presented here is the first step toward supporting the implementation of pros in the Canadian health care setting.

Methods

The Canadian pros National Steering Committee drafted position statements, which were submitted for stakeholder feedback before, during, and after the first National Canadian Patient Reported Outcomes (canpros) scientific conference, 14-15 November 2019 in Calgary, Alberta. In addition to the stakeholder feedback cycle, a patient advocate group submitted a section to capture the patient voice.

Results

The canpros Position Statement is an outcome of the 2019 canpros scientific conference, with an oncology focus. The Position Statement is categorized into 6 sections covering 4 theme areas: Patient and Families, Health Policy, Clinical Implementation, and Research. The patient voice perfectly mirrors the recommendations that the experts reached by consensus and provides an overriding impetus for the use of pros in health care.

Conclusions

Although our vision of pros transforming the health care system to be more patient-centred is still aspirational, the Position Statement presented here takes a first step toward providing recommendations in key areas to align Canadian efforts. The Position Statement is directed toward a health policy audience; future iterations will target other audiences, including researchers, clinicians, and patients. Our intent is that future versions will broaden the focus to include chronic diseases beyond cancer.

Palindromic Rheumatism Frequently Precedes Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From an Incident Cohort

Background

This multicenter incident cohort aimed to characterize how often early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) patients self‐report episodic joint inflammation (palindromic rheumatism) preceding ERA diagnosis and which characteristics differentiate these patients from those without prior episodic symptoms.

Methods

Data were from patients with early confirmed or suspected RA (more than 6 weeks and less than 12 months) enrolled in the Canadian Early ArThritis CoHort (CATCH) between April 2017 to March 2018 who completed study case report forms assessing joint pain and swelling prior to ERA diagnosis. Chi‐square and t tests were used to compare characteristics of patients with and without self‐reported episodic joint inflammation prior to ERA diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and clinical measures associated with past episodic joint inflammation around the time of ERA diagnosis.

Results

A total of 154 ERA patients were included; 66% were female, and mean (SD) age and RA symptom duration were 54 (15) years and 141 (118) days. Sixty‐five (42%) ERA patients reported a history of episodic joint pain and swelling, half of whom reported that these symptoms preceded ERA diagnosis by over 6 months. ERA patients with past episodic joint inflammation were more often female, had higher income, were seropositive, had more comorbidities, fewer swollen joints, and lower Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) around the time of ERA diagnosis (P < 0.05). These associations remained significant in multivariable regression adjusting for other sociodemographic and RA clinical measures.

Conclusion

Almost half of ERA patients experienced episodic joint inflammation prior to ERA diagnosis. These patients were more often female, had higher income, and presented with milder disease activity at ERA diagnosis.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome Differ in Men and Women with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) is conflicting. The impact of sex, including menopause, has not been described. We estimated the prevalence and factors associated with MetS in men and women with ERA.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study of the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) was performed. Participants with baseline data to estimate key MetS components were included. Sex‐stratified logistic regression identified baseline variables associated with MetS.

Results

The sample included 1543 participants; 71% were female and the mean age was 54 (SD 15) years. MetS prevalence was higher in men 188 (42%) than women 288 (26%, P < 0.0001) and increased with age. Frequent MetS components in men were hypertension (62%), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, 40%), obesity (36%), and low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (36%). Postmenopausal women had greater frequency of hypertension (65%), IGT (32%), and high triglycerides (21%) compared with premenopausal women (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, MetS was negatively associated with seropositivity and pulmonary disease in men. Increasing age was associated with MetS in women. In postmenopausal women, corticosteroid use was associated with MetS. Psychiatric comorbidity was associated with MetS in premenopausal women. MetS status was not explained by disease activity or core RA measures.

Conclusion

The characteristics and associations of MetS differed in men and women with ERA. Sex differences, including postmenopausal status, should be considered in comorbidity screening. With this knowledge, the interplay of MetS, sex, and RA therapeutic response on cardiovascular outcomes should be investigated.

Boolean logic by convective obstacle flows

We present a potential new mode of natural computing in which simple, heat-driven fluid flows perform Boolean logic operations. The system comprises a two-dimensional single-phase fluid that is heated from below and cooled from above, with two obstacles placed on the horizontal mid-plane. The obstacles remove all vertical momentum that flows into them. The horizontal momentum extraction of the obstacles is controlled in a binary fashion, and constitutes the 2-bit input. The output of the system is a thresholded measure of the energy extracted by the obstacles. Due to the existence of multiple attractors in the phase space of this system, the input–output relationships are equivalent to those of the OR, XOR or NAND gates, depending on the threshold and obstacle separation. The ability to reproduce these logical operations suggests that convective flows might have the potential to perform more general computations, despite the fact that they do not involve electronics, chemistry or multiple fluid phases.

Convective flow in the presence of a small obstacle: Symmetry breaking, attractors, hysteresis, and information

This work explores the stability and hysteresis effects that occur when a small sink of momentum is introduced into a heat-driven, two-dimensional convective flow. As per standard fluid mechanical intuition, the system minimizes work generation and dissipation when one component of momentum is extracted. However, when the sink absorbs all incoming momentum, the system configures itself such that one of the convection plumes aligns directly with the sink. This state is the most hydrodynamically stable, but it maximizes, rather than minimizes extracted mechanical work. Furthermore, in the case of only vertical momentum extraction, there are two attractors, with different stabilities. Numerical experiments involving slow variations of the horizontal momentum extraction show a clear history dependence. This hysteresis preserves information about the system's past states, and hence represents a primitive memory. The momentum sink can also be used to manipulate the horizontal position of the flow field, with potential applications in microfluidics and laminar convection systems. This simple system exhibits the phenomena of autocatalysis (during the initial growth of the convection plumes), negative feedback (the attractors are either fully or quasistable), memory, and elementary computation.

Combining online and in-person methods to evaluate the content validity of PROMIS fatigue short forms in rheumatoid arthritis

PURPOSE

Fatigue is frequent and often severe and disabling in RA, and there is no consensus on how to measure it. We used online surveys and in-person interviews to evaluate PROMIS Fatigue 7a and 8a short forms (SFs) in people with RA.

METHODS

We recruited people with RA from an online patient community (n = 200) and three academic medical centers (n = 84) in the US. Participants completed both SFs then rated the comprehensiveness and comprehensibility of the items to their fatigue experience. Cognitive debriefing of items was conducted in a subset of 32 clinic patients. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations were evaluated using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

Mean SF scores were similar (p ≥ .61) among clinic patients reflecting mild fatigue (i.e., 54.5-55.9), but were significantly higher (p < .001) in online participants. SF Fatigue scores correlated highly (r ≥ 0.82; p < .000) and moderately with patient assessments of disease activity (r ≥ 0.62; p = .000). Most (70-92%) reported that the items "completely" or "mostly" reflected their experience. Almost all (≥ 94%) could distinguish general fatigue from RA fatigue. Most (≥ 85%) rated individual items questions as "somewhat" or "very relevant" to their fatigue experience, averaged their fatigue over the past 7 days (58%), and rated fatigue impact versus severity (72 vs. 19%). 99% rated fatigue as an important symptom they considered when deciding how well their current treatment was controlling their RA.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that items in the single-score PROMIS Fatigue SFs demonstrate content validity and can adequately capture the wide range of fatigue experiences of people with RA.

Exploring Perceptions of Barriers, Facilitators, and Motivators to Physical Activity Among Female Bariatric Patients: Implications for Physical Activity Programming

PURPOSE

To explore barriers, facilitators, and motivators to adopting and maintaining regular physical activity among women with obesity who have undergone bariatric surgery.

APPROACH

Individual interviews with women 3 to 24 months post-bariatric surgery.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from a bariatric clinic in Montreal, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Twelve women were recruited (mean age = 47 ± 9 years) using poster advertisements and word of mouth. Participants were on average 15 months postsurgery.

METHOD

Each woman was interviewed once using a semistructured interview protocol. Recruitment was conducted until data saturation (i.e., no new information emerged). The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three interrelated themes emerged: the physical body, appraisal of the physical and social self, and the exercise environment. Barriers included weight-restricted mobility, side effects of surgery, body dissatisfaction, compromised psychological health, competing responsibilities, a lack of exercise self-efficacy and social support, reduced access to accommodating facilities, lack of exercise knowledge, and northern climate. Participants reported postsurgical weight loss, weight and health maintenance, enjoyment, body image, and supportive active relationships, as well as access to accommodating facilities and exercise knowledge, as facilitators and motivators.

CONCLUSION

Suggested physical activity programming strategies for health care professionals working with this unique population are discussed. Physical activity and health promotion initiatives can also benefit from a cultural paradigm shift away from weight-based representations of health.

Obesity and symptoms of depression contribute independently to the poor asthma control of obesity

Obesity is a major risk factor for poorly controlled asthma, but the reasons for poor asthma control in this patient population are unclear. Symptoms of depression have been associated with poor asthma control, and increase with higher body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was to assess whether depressive symptoms underlie poor asthma control in obesity.

METHODS

We determined the relationship between BMI, psychological morbidity and asthma control at baseline in a well-characterized patient population participating in a clinical trial conducted by the American Lung Association-Asthma Clinical Research Centers.

RESULTS

Obese asthmatic participants had increased symptoms of depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score in lean 10.1 ± 8.1, overweight 10.0 ± 8.1, obese 12.4 ± 9.9; p = 0.03), worse asthma control (Juniper Asthma Control Questionnaire score in lean 1.43 ± 0.68, overweight 1.52 ± 0.71, obese 1.76 ± 0.75; p < 0.0001), and worse asthma quality of life (scores in lean 5.21 ± 1.08, overweight 5.08 ± 1.05, obese 4.64 ± 1.09; p < 0.0001). Asthmatics with obesity and those with symptoms of depression both had a higher risk of having poorly controlled asthma (adjusted odds ratio of 1.83 CI 1.23-3.52 for obesity, and 2.08 CI 1.23-3.52 for depression), but there was no interaction between the two.

CONCLUSION

Obesity and symptoms of depression are independently associated with poor asthma control. As depression is increased in obese asthmatics it may be an important co-morbidity contributing to poor asthma control in this population, but factors other than depression also contribute to poor asthma control in obesity.

Relationships among vitamin D, disease activity, pain and disability in rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with important skeletal and non-skeletal biologic functions. Vitamin D deficiency is common and manifests with musculoskeletal symptoms. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), vitamin D deficiency may be associated with increased disease activity and disability. We aimed to estimate the relationship between Vitamin D level and disease activity, pain, and disability in RA.

METHODS

Data were drawn from 62 RA patients seen in an academic arthritis clinic. 25(OH)D levels were evaluated along with markers of RA disease activity, physician and patient global assessments, pain (VAS) and HAQ. DAS-28 was calculated. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D levels<30ng/ml.

RESULTS

Sixty-one percent of RA patients were classified as vitamin D deficient. In patients with active RA (DAS 28 score≥2.6), 25(OH)D was moderately and inversely associated with DAS 28 (-0.38), pain (-0.49) and HAQ (-0.54) (p<0.01). However, no significant associations were found between 25(OH)D and these variables in patients in remission (DAS 28<2.6). Vitamin D deficient patients with active RA had six times the odds (OR=6.0, 95% CI 1.2-31.2) of being moderately or severely disabled (HAQ≥1.25).

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin D deficiency was common in this RA group. In patients with moderate to high disease activity, vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher DAS scores, pain and disability. Clinicians in northern climates may wish to monitor vitamin D status in their RA patients.

Patient adherence in COPD

Patient adherence to treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential to optimise disease management. As with other chronic diseases, poor adherence is common and results in increased rates of morbidity, healthcare expenditures, hospitalisations and possibly mortality, as well as unnecessary escalation of therapy and reduced quality of life. Examples include overuse, underuse, and alteration of schedule and doses of medication, continued smoking and lack of exercise. Adherence is affected by patients' perception of their disease, type of treatment or medication, the quality of patient provider communication and the social environment. Patients are more likely to adhere to treatment when they believe it will improve disease management or control, or anticipate serious consequences related to non-adherence. Providers play a critical role in helping patients understand the nature of the disease, potential benefits of treatment, addressing concerns regarding potential adverse effects and events, and encouraging patients to develop self-management skills. For clinicians, it is important to explore patients' beliefs and concerns about the safety and benefits of the treatment, as many patients harbour unspoken fears. Complex regimens and polytherapy also contribute to suboptimal adherence. This review addresses adherence related issues in COPD, assesses current efforts to improve adherence and highlights opportunities to improve adherence for both providers and patients.

Television watching, energy intake, and obesity in US children: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between television watching, energy intake, physical activity, and obesity status in US boys and girls, aged 8 to 16 years.

METHODS

We used a nationally representative cross-sectional survey with an in-person interview and a medical examination, which included measurements of height and weight, daily hours of television watching, weekly participation in physical activity, and a dietary interview. Between 1988 and 1994, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected data on 4069 children. Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks were oversampled to produce reliable estimates for these groups.

RESULTS

The prevalence of obesity is lowest among children watching 1 or fewer hours of television a day, and highest among those watching 4 or more hours of television a day. Girls engaged in less physical activity and consumed fewer joules per day than boys. A higher percentage of non-Hispanic white boys reported participating in physical activity 5 or more times per week than any other race/ethnic and sex group. Television watching was positively associated with obesity among girls, even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, family income, weekly physical activity, and energy intake.

CONCLUSIONS

As the prevalence of overweight increases, the need to reduce sedentary behaviors and to promote a more active lifestyle becomes essential. Clinicians and public health interventionists should encourage active lifestyles to balance the energy intake of children.

Maternal depressive symptoms and emergency department use among inner-city children with asthma

CONTEXT

Inner-city minority children with asthma use emergency departments (ED) frequently.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether maternal depressive symptoms are associated with ED use.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS

Baseline and 6-month surveys were administered to mothers of children with asthma in inner-city Baltimore, Md, and Washington, DC.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Use of the ED at 6-month follow-up was examined. Independent variables included asthma morbidity, age, depressive symptoms, and other psychosocial data.

RESULTS

Among mothers, nearly half reported significant levels of depressive symptoms. There were no demographic or asthma-related differences between the children of mothers with high and low depressive symptoms. However, in bivariate analyses, mothers with high depressive symptoms were 40% (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-3.6; P =.04) more likely to report taking their child to the ED. Mothers aged 30 to 35 years were more than twice as likely (PR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.9-9.3; P =.001) to report ED use, as were children with high morbidity (PR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-7.1; P =.006). Child age and family income were not predictive of ED use. After controlling for asthma symptoms and mother's age, mothers with depressive symptoms were still 30% more likely to report ED use.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression is common among inner-city mothers of children with asthma. Beyond asthma morbidity, maternal age and depressive symptoms are strong predictors of reports of ED visits. Identifying and addressing poor psychological adjustment in mothers may reduce unnecessary ED visits and optimize asthma management among inner-city children.

Access and use of medical care among obese persons

The prevalence of obesity and severe obesity is growing rapidly, along with obesity-related comorbidities and mortality. Given the increased health risks associated with obesity, it is vital that obese persons have adequate access to, and make consistent use of, medical care services. Assuming obese persons have access to medical care that is comparable to non-obese persons, one would expect to observe greater use of medical services among obese persons. In this article we briefly review empirical evidence of the access to and use of medical care among obese persons. Although certain subgroups that tend to have disproportionately high prevalences of obesity (i.e., low socioeconomic status, minority groups) have reduced access to care, no studies have specifically examined whether or not obese persons have the same access to health care as do their lean counterparts. With respect to use of health care services, however, obesity has been consistently linked with greater rates of utilization and increased health care expenditures. Both the increased use and cost appear to be largely a function of treating obesity-associated comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. We conclude that, although it is clear that obesity is associated with both greater use and cost of medical care, the relationship between obesity and access to medical care has not been determined.

Health-related quality of life among obese persons seeking and not currently seeking treatment

OBJECTIVE

To compare sociodemographic characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQL) between groups of obese persons who sought and did not seek university-based treatment for overweight.

METHOD

Three-hundred twelve consecutive obese persons sought outpatient university-based weight management treatment. The sample of obese persons (N = 89) who indicated that they were not currently trying to lose weight was derived from a larger convenience sample (N = 232) of persons surveyed in a hospital setting. Both groups completed sociodemographic and brief medical history questionnaires and the HRQL as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

Obese persons who had sought treatment tended to be heavier, older, Caucasian, married, in white collar employment, and reported a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and pain. In multivariate analyses, both adjusted and unadjusted for these differences, obese persons who had sought treatment were significantly more impaired on the bodily pain, general health, and vitality HRQL domains than those who were not trying to lose weight.

DISCUSSION

Although differences on sociodemographic and medical variables between the two groups may attenuate the obesity-HRQL relationship somewhat, obesity appears to have a pronounced impact on important dimensions of HRQL independent of whether or not the person is attempting to lose weight

Prevalence of significant knee pain among older Americans: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of persistent knee pain among older adults in the US.

DESIGN

A nationally representative cross-sectional survey with an in-person interview and medical examination

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Between 1988 and 1994, 6596 adults aged 60 to 90+ years were examined as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks were over-sampled to produce reliable estimates for these groups.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Participants were asked to report whether they had experienced knee pain on most days for the 6 weeks preceding their medical exam.

RESULTS

Overall, 18.1% of US men and 23.5% of US women aged 60 years and older reported knee pain. Sixty- to ninety-year-old men reported knee pain less frequently than their age-matched female counterparts. There was a trend for reports of knee pain to increase steadily as these adults aged from 60 to 85 years. The highest prevalence of knee pain was reported among 85- to 90-year-old men (23.7%) and women (30.0%). Among non-Hispanic white adults older than age 60, 18.4% of men and 22.0% of women reported knee pain. Reports of knee pain among non-Hispanic black men and Mexican American men were similar to those of their non-Hispanic white counterparts. In contrast, 26.4% of Mexican American women and 32.8% of non-Hispanic black women reported knee pain. We also found that difficulty in performing physical functioning activities was associated with a higher prevalence of knee pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Many US adults older than age 60 years report knee pain, and the prevalence is higher in older adults. Reports of knee pain are highest among non-Hispanic black women and the oldest Americans. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent and better manage knee pain among older US adults to stem the adverse health consequences and diminished quality of life associated with this common problem.

Prescription medications: a modifiable contributor to obesity

BACKGROUND

While usually not the only factor in obese patients, prescription medications, which may increase appetite or body weight, can be important in some individuals. The cause of weight gain in such cases may go unrecognized or lead to cessation of medication with or without the practitioner's knowledge or approval.

METHODS

We found illustrative cases among patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, searched MEDLINE and the Micromedex Drug Information database, and organized this information by drug mechanism and indications for use.

RESULTS

Most reports of medication-induced weight gain are anecdotal or gleaned from clinical trials. Notable offenders include hormones (especially corticosteroids and insulinotropic agents), and psychoactive medications (especially tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, and some antipsychotics).

CONCLUSIONS

Medication-related increases in appetite and body weight are under-recognized and cause noncompliance with pharmacotherapy. A high index of awareness of the known mechanisms by which medications can lead to weight gain has the potential to prevent most medication-related contributions to weight gain and obesity.

Is the prevalence of successful weight loss and maintenance higher in the general community than the research clinic?

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of successful weight loss remains unclear. In 1982, Schachter concluded that in the general population, the rate of "self-cured" obesity approached 63%-much higher than the rate from clinical trials. Several subsequent studies have addressed this issue.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Our initial goal was to meta-analyze these studies to evaluate the validity of the original hypotheses and the extent to which additional investigations supported the findings. We began by restating Schachter's hypotheses in precise, testable terms.

RESULTS

A systematic review of these studies found many methodological limitations and much heterogeneity among the samples studied, hypotheses addressed, and operational definitions. Some of these limitations appear to stem from the lack of clear, precise statements of the exact hypotheses tested. Differences among studies are delineated, and we outline why meta-analytic pooling of these data appears inappropriate.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data are inadequate to draw any definite conclusions regarding the cure rate of obesity. Criteria for the adequate study of success rates with "self-cure" in the general population are proposed.

Impact of weight loss on health-related quality of life

To examine the effect of treatment-induced weight loss on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), 38 mildly-to-moderately overweight persons recruited to participate in a study to examine the efficacy of a lifestyle modification treatment program completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36, as an assessment of HRQL), and underwent a series of clinical evaluations prior to treatment. After baseline evaluations, participants were randomly assigned to either a program of lifestyle physical activity or a program of traditional aerobic activity. Participants again completed the SF-36 and BDI after the 13-week treatment program had ended. Weight loss averaged 8.6 +/- 2.8 kg over the 13-week study. We found that weight loss was associated with significantly higher scores (enhanced HRQL), relative to baseline, on the physical functioning, role-physical, general health, vitality and mental health domains of the SF-36. The largest improvements were with respect to the vitality, general health perception and role-physical domains. There were no significant differences between the lifestyle and aerobic activity groups on any of the study measures. These data indicate that, at least in the short-term, weight loss appears to profoundly enhance HRQL.

Effects of lifestyle activity vs structured aerobic exercise in obese women: a randomized trial

CONTEXT

Physical inactivity contributes to weight gain, but only 22% of Americans are regularly active.

OBJECTIVE

To examine short- and long-term changes in weight, body composition, and cardiovascular risk profiles produced by diet combined with either structured aerobic exercise or moderate-intensity lifestyle activity.

DESIGN

Sixteen-week randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow-up, conducted from August 1995 to December 1996.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Forty obese women (mean body mass index [weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters], 32.9 kg/m2; mean weight, 89.2 kg) with a mean age of 42.9 years (range, 21-60 years) seen in a university-based weight management program.

INTERVENTIONS

Structured aerobic exercise or moderate lifestyle activity; low-fat diet of about 1200 kcal/d.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Changes in body weight, body composition, cardiovascular risk profiles, and physical fitness at 16 weeks and at 1 year.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) weight losses during the 16-week treatment program were 8.3 (3.8) kg for the aerobic group and 7.9 (4.2) kg for the lifestyle group (within groups, P<.001; between groups, P = .08). The aerobic group lost significantly less fat-free mass (0.5 [1.3] kg) than the lifestyle group (1.4 [1.3] kg; P = .03). During the 1-year follow-up, the aerobic group regained 1.6 [5.5] kg, while the lifestyle group regained 0.08 (4.6) kg. At week 16, serum triglyceride levels and total cholesterol levels were reduced significantly (P<.001) from baseline (16.3% and 10.1% reductions, respectively) but did not differ significantly between groups and were not different from baseline or between groups at week 68.

CONCLUSIONS

A program of diet plus lifestyle activity may offer similar health benefits and be a suitable alternative to diet plus structured aerobic activity for obese women.

Can inexpensive signs encourage the use of stairs? Results from a community intervention

BACKGROUND

The U.S. Surgeon General advocates the accumulation of moderate-intensity activity throughout the day to improve health.

OBJECTIVES

To test the effectiveness of signs to encourage use of stairs instead of escalators.

DESIGN

Community intervention.

SETTING

Shopping center.

PARTICIPANTS

17901 shoppers.

INTERVENTION

Signs promoting the health and weight-control benefits of stair use were placed beside escalators with adjacent stairs.

MEASUREMENTS

The sex, age, race, weight classification, and use of stairs were observed.

RESULTS

Overall, stair use increased from 4.8% to 6.9% and 7.2% with the health and weight-control signs, respectively. Younger persons increase their stair use from 4.6% to 6.0% with the health sign and 6.1% with the weight-control sign. Older persons almost doubled their stair use from 5.1% to 8.1% with the health sign and increased use to 8.7% with the weight-control sign. Differential use of stairs was observed between ethnic groups. Among white persons, stair use increased from 5.1% to 7.5 and 7.8% with the health sign and weight-control signs. Among black persons, stair use decreased from 4.1% to 3.4% with the health sign and increased to 5.0% with the weight-control sign. At baseline, lean persons used the stairs more often than overweight persons (5.4% and 3.8%, respectively). The health sign increased stair use to 7.2% among normal-weight persons and 6.3% among overweight persons; the weight-control sign prompted stair use to increase to 6.9% among persons of normal weight and to 7.6% among overweight persons.

CONCLUSIONS

Simple, inexpensive interventions can increase physical activity. Research is needed to identify effective motivators to promote activity among black persons.

Relationship of physical activity and television watching with body weight and level of fatness among children: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

CONTEXT

Physical inactivity contributes to weight gain in adults, but whether this relationship is true for children of different ethnic groups is not well established.

OBJECTIVE

To assess participation in vigorous activity and television watching habits and their relationship to body weight and fatness in US children.

DESIGN

Nationally representative cross-sectional survey with an in-person interview and medical examination.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Between 1988 and 1994, 4063 children aged 8 through 16 years were examined as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks were oversampled to produce reliable estimates for these groups.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Episodes of weekly vigorous activity and daily hours of television watched, and their relationship to body mass index and body fatness.

RESULTS

Eighty percent of US children reported performing 3 or more bouts of vigorous activity each week. This rate was lower in non-Hispanic black and Mexican American girls (69% and 73%, respectively). Twenty percent of US children participated in 2 or fewer bouts of vigorous activity perweek, and the rate was higher in girls (26%) than in boys (17%). Overall, 26% of US children watched 4 or more hours of television per day and 67% watched at least 2 hours per day. Non-Hispanic black children had the highest rates of watching 4 or more hours of television per day (42%). Boys and girls who watch 4 or more hours of television each day had greater body fat (P<.001) and had a greater body mass index (P<.001) than those who watched less than 2 hours per day.

CONCLUSIONS

Many US children watch a great deal of television and are inadequately vigorously active. Vigorous activity levels are lowest among girls, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans. Intervention strategies to promote lifelong physical activity among US children are needed to stem the adverse health consequences of inactivity.

Behavioral treatment of obese binge eaters: do they need different care?

This study investigated the relationship between binge eating and the outcome of weight loss treatment. Participants in a 48-week trial of a structured diet combined with exercise and behavior therapy were classified into one of four groups: no overeating; episodic overeating; subthreshold binge-eating disorder(BED); and BED. Binge eating status was not associated with either dropout or adherence to the diet, but did affect weight loss and mood. The BED group lost significantly more weight at the end of treatment than all other groups, even when adjusting for initial weight. At 1-year follow-up, there were no differences among groups in weight loss or weight regain. The BED group began treatment with significantly higher BDI scores, but improvement in mood occurred by week 5. On the basis of these findings, and a review of the recent literature, we conclude that obese binge eaters respond as favorably to standard dietary and behavioral treatments as do obese nonbingers.

Exercise in the treatment of obesity: effects of four interventions on body composition, resting energy expenditure, appetite, and mood

This study investigated changes in body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), appetite, and mood in 128 obese women who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: diet alone, diet plus aerobic training, diet plus strength training, or diet combined with aerobic and strength training (i.e., combined training). All women received the same 48-week group behavioral program and were prescribed the same diet. Exercising participants were provided 3 supervised exercise sessions per week for the first 28 weeks and 2 sessions weekly thereafter. Participants across the 4 conditions achieved a mean weight loss of 16.5 +/- 6.8 kg at Week 24, which decreased to 15.1 +/- 8.4 kg at Week 48. There were no significant differences among conditions at any time in changes in weight or body composition. Women who received aerobic training displayed significantly smaller reductions in REE at Week 24 than did those who received strength training. There were no other significant differences among conditions at any time on this variable or in changes in appetite and mood.

Exercise in the treatment of obesity: effects of four interventions on body composition, resting energy expenditure, appetite, and mood

This study investigated changes in body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), appetite, and mood in 128 obese women who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: diet alone, diet plus aerobic training, diet plus strength training, or diet combined with aerobic and strength training (i.e., combined training). All women received the same 48-week group behavioral program and were prescribed the same diet. Exercising participants were provided 3 supervised exercise sessions per week for the first 28 weeks and 2 sessions weekly thereafter. Participants across the 4 conditions achieved a mean weight loss of 16.5 +/- 6.8 kg at Week 24, which decreased to 15.1 +/- 8.4 kg at Week 48. There were no significant differences among conditions at any time in changes in weight or body composition. Women who received aerobic training displayed significantly smaller reductions in REE at Week 24 than did those who received strength training. There were no other significant differences among conditions at any time on this variable or in changes in appetite and mood.

Psychosocial consequences of weight cycling

Participants were 130 obese women with a mean age of 41.1 +/- 8.4 years and a mean weight of 97.9 +/- 13.5 kg, who reported having undertaken a mean lifetime total of 4.7 +/- 1.2 major diets on which they had lost a mean total of 45.9 +/- 21.4 kg. Participants with a severe history of weight cycling had a significantly younger age of onset of their obesity than did mild cyclers and reported initiating dieting at a significantly younger age and lower weight. No evidence, however, was found that weight cycling was associated with greater reports of depression or other psychopathology; nor was it associated with a significantly greater frequency of binge eating disorder. The results are discussed in terms of the need to use additional measures of psychological functioning.

Psychosocial consequences of weight cycling

Participants were 130 obese women with a mean age of 41.1 +/- 8.4 years and a mean weight of 97.9 +/- 13.5 kg, who reported having undertaken a mean lifetime total of 4.7 +/- 1.2 major diets on which they had lost a mean total of 45.9 +/- 21.4 kg. Participants with a severe history of weight cycling had a significantly younger age of onset of their obesity than did mild cyclers and reported initiating dieting at a significantly younger age and lower weight. No evidence, however, was found that weight cycling was associated with greater reports of depression or other psychopathology; nor was it associated with a significantly greater frequency of binge eating disorder. The results are discussed in terms of the need to use additional measures of psychological functioning.

Sertraline and relapse prevention training following treatment by very-low-calorie diet: a controlled clinical trial

This study examined the combination of sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and relapse prevention training in the maintenance of weight loss following treatment by a very-low-calorie diet. A total of 53 women who had lost a mean (+/- SD) of 22.9 +/- 7.1 kg from a pretreatment weight of 103.1 +/- 17.8 kg were randomly assigned to a 54-week weight maintenance program that was combined with either: 1) 200 mg/d of sertraline; or 2) placebo. During the first 6 weeks, sertraline subjects lost significantly more weight and reported significantly greater reductions in hunger and preoccupation with food than did subjects on placebo. After this time, however, women in both conditions regained weight steadily. The 13 sertraline subjects who completed the 54-week study regained 17.7 +/- 10.6 kg of their original 26.3 +/- 7.6 kg loss, equal to a regain of 70.9 +/- 41.7%. The 17 placebo completers regained 11.8 +/- 9.0 kg of their 23.4 +/- 7.8 kg loss, equal to a 46.5 +/- 34.6% regain. End-of-treatment differences between groups in weight change were not statistically significant. Nor were there significant differences between the two conditions at any time in changes in fat-free mass, resting metabolic rate or dysphoria, all of which tended to increase with weight regain. The results are discussed in relation to findings from other long-term studies that combined diet and medication.

Gallstone formation in obese women treated by a low-calorie diet

This study assessed the incidence of gallstone formation in 47 obese women who consumed a low-calorie diet (LCD) for the first 16 weeks of a 26-week weight loss program. The LCD consisted of four daily servings of a liquid diet combined with an evening meal of a pre-packaged dinner entrée and provided approximately 925 kcal/d. Six of the 47 patients (12.8%) displayed gallstones at week 17, as determined by sonography. Five patients were asymptomatic when followed for up to 48 weeks. The sixth, however, reported severe abdominal pain 30 weeks after beginning treatment and required a cholecystectomy. Patients who developed gallstones, as compared with those who did not, had significantly higher baseline triglyceride and total cholesterol levels and had a significantly greater rate of weight loss. Results of this study indicate that an increased risk of gallstones is not limited to very-low-calorie diets and that the incidence of this complication should be assessed in persons who consume popular over-the-counter meal replacement plans.