RA & OA: Nearly 40% have Anxiety, Depression or Fibromyalgia Save
Researchers at Rush University analyzed clinic MDHAQ data and found between 36-40% of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients screen positive comorbid anxiety (ANX), depression (DEP), or fibromyalgia (FM).
They routinely use the the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) or the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) which also gathers information on function, pain, and patient global scores and comorbidities.
That 40% of 361 OA patients and 36% of 488 RA patients screened positive for ANX, DEP, and/or FM. They found that 7-8% had all three. RAPID3 (and components) were significantly elevated in those who screened positive screen for ANX, DEP, and/or FM (ORs of 2.6–35.8).
Each of these three common comorbidities significant add to patient distress, and affect patient outcomes and responses to therapy. They can easily be screened for in the clinic using MDHAQ or RAPID3 or similar tools.
ADD THE FIRST COMMENT
Disclosures
The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose related to this subject
If you are a health practitioner, you may Login/Register to comment.
Due to the nature of these comment forums, only health practitioners are allowed to comment at this time.