BACKGROUNDHand osteoarthritis (HOA) is a highly prevalent rheumatic disease that predominates in females and causes pain and loss of functional capacity. Obesity and metabolic syndrome have been previously suggested to associate with the severity of HOA, but clarity on these associations is yet to be achieved.OBJECTIVETest the association between obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome and disability in women with hand osteoarthritis (HOA).DESIGNIndividuals from EpiReumaPt epidemiological community-based study (2011-2013) are representative of the Portuguese population. Women with diagnosis of primary HOA were included.PRIMARY OUTCOMEhand functional status, assessed by Cochin questionnaire.SECONDARY OUTCOMEShand pain, assessed by visual analogue scale and tender hand joint count (THJ). Explanatory variables: obesity, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Possible associations between obesity and the other components of metabolic syndrome with Cochin score, hand pain and THJ were tested in a multivariable linear regression model. Potential confounders considered: age, education level and countrywide distribution.RESULTS473 women with primary HOA were included. Forty percent were overweight and 29% obese. Ninety-three (19.8%) participants had diabetes, 261 (55.8%) reported hypertension and 261 (55.9%) hypercholesterolemia. Mean Cochin score was 15.5±14.8, mean pain VAS was 4.7±2.6 and mean THJ 1.4±3. In the multivariable analysis, obesity (β 4.6 CI 0.7;8.5) and diabetes (β 4.0 CI 0.4;7.6) were found to significantly associate with HOA functional disability. In addition, diabetes, but not obesity, associated with hand pain. There was no association between obesity or diabetes with THJ.CONCLUSIONIn a Portuguese female population with primary HOA, obesity and diabetes mellitus independently associated with a worse hand functional status. These data add to evidence suggesting a role of metabolic factors in the severity of HOA.
AIMS Few reports have focused on the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purposes of this study were to evaluate the frequency of bone erosion of the DIP joint, and to determine the factors associated with its deformity. METHODS This study reviewed 204 patients with RA in whom radiographs of hands were obtained. According to the presence/absence of bone erosion of the DIP joint, patients were divided into two groups (DIP-positive and DIP-negative groups). Additionally, wrist, metacarpal phalangeal (MP), thumb interphalangeal (IP), and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints were evaluated. Clinical variables such as age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, disease activity (DAS28-CRP), and drug use were investigated. RESULTS Regarding the radiological findings of the DIP joint, 32 patients (15.7%) were allocated to the DIP-positive group and 172 patients (84.3%) to the DIP-negative group. The mean age, disease duration, DAS28-CRP, and the rate of corticosteroids usage were significantly higher in the DIP-positive than in the DIP-negative group (p = 0.0031, 0.0062, 0.0342, and 0.0011, respectively). Radiologically, concomitant bone erosions of the wrist, MP, thumb IP, and PIP joints were significantly more common in the DIP-positive than in the DIP-negative group (p < 0.01 for all four joints). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that advanced age, long disease duration, and the presence of radiological bone erosion of the PIP joint were independently associated with bone erosion of the DIP joint (p = 0.0480, 0.0307, and 0.0021, respectively). Accordingly, in patients with DIP erosions, mean DAS28-CRP was significantly higher in patients with <5 years (n = 10) than in those with ≥5 years of disease duration (n = 22, p = 0.0088). CONCLUSIONS Bone erosion can be observed at the DIP joint in patients with RA, and these cases frequently shows bone erosions of other finger joints, such as PIP joint. In addition, bone erosion can be observed soon after the onset of RA caused by uncontrolled disease activity in some patients with RA.
OBJECTIVES:There is comparatively scarce data on bone health in prediabetes (PD). This study aimed to evaluate osteoporosis, fracture risk, and to determine related factors in adults with PD comparing them with healthy participants.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A controlled, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted. All post-menopausal women and men aged over 65 years were recruited from a tertiary care hospital. A total of 120 participants (90 prediabetic, 30 control group) were enrolled in the study. All participants were screened for clinical status, Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry(DEXA) was used to assess for osteoporotic fracture risk factors, and then the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) was calculated.RESULTS:Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), presence of obesity and insulin resistance, and risk factors for osteoporotic fracture were similar between groups. Frequency of osteoporosis was higher in the PD group (p=0.045). Bone mineral density (BMD) and T scores of the lumbar and femoral neck regions were lower in the PD group (p=0.042, p=0.039, p=0.039, and p=0.042, respectively). Although there were statistically significant differences in BMD and T scores, 10-year probability of hip fracture and major osteoporotic fracture were similar in both groups. In the femoral neck region, BMD and T scores were weakly and negatively correlated with age. FRAX-major was correlated positively and weakly with age and FRAX-hip was positively and weakly correlated with age and negatively weakly correlated with BMI.CONCLUSIONS:Almost one quarter of the post-menopausal prediabetic women had osteoporosis and osteoporosis was more common in the prediabetics than in the normoglycemic control group participants. While evaluating prediabetics, it is important to assess bone mineral density.
