Sensing the main health concerns in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis

The principle objective was to determine the spectrum of some health concerns that are likely to be present in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients living in United Arab Emirates. One hundred and one RA patients and 82 with other arthropathies, predominantly Arab individuals, were interviewed for main health concerns while receiving antirheumatic drug therapy. All were requested to indicate and prioritize their first three concerns. Setting up the list of concerns was based on previous conclusions to the question of “What bothers you most with your disease?” Pain attributed to the disease was the predominant concern in both groups: 82% vs. 71%, p = NS. Pain was also prioritized by the RA patients in the first rank, n = 52/82 patients, and surpassed its prioritization in the second and third ranks combined (63.5% vs. 36.5%, p = 0.001). Fear of future disability came second in RA patients, 50% vs. 25.5% in the other group, p = 0.001. Depressive feeling surprisingly was more dominant in patients with other arthropathies, 35.5% vs. 20% in RA patients, p = 0.001. In the prioritization of concerns, the fear of disability was first ranked by 24% of RA patients compared to 8.5% by patients with other arthropathies (p = 0.009) while the latter patients were significantly concerned about depressive feeling and fatigue compared to RA patients (7% vs. 0%, p = 0.007 and 14.5% vs. 5%, p = 0.04, respectively). Significant hand deformities was noticed in 25 RA patients (25%); however, only 11 of those (44.5%) indicated their fear of disability compared to the others who did not (p = NS, OR = 0.73, and 95% CI 0.275–1.665). Therefore in this predominantly Arab cohort, pain is the main health concern for RA patients and patients with other arthropathies. Patients with RA are more concerned about becoming disabled, while other patients are more concerned with feeling depressed or fatigued. Those lived with phobia of disability in RA patients did that irrespective to the presence or absence of significant hand deformities.