ÖZLEM KARAKAŞ, MELDA AĞIR, ABDULSAMET ERDEN
Ulusal Romatoloji Dergisi - 2025;17(2):85-91
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disorder predominantly affecting peripheral joints. Beyond its articular involvement, RA imposes substantial physical limitations and emotional challenges, adversely impacting patients’ quality of life and contributing to a significant socioeconomic burden. This study was conducted to investigate the associations among disease activity, pain intensity, psychological well-being, and quality of life in individuals diagnosed with RA. METHODS In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 64 patients fulfilling the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA were included. Disease activity was quantified using the disease activity score-28, and pain was assessed through the visual analog scale (VAS). Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the short form-12 (SF-12), which generates physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. Participants were categorized based on disease activity levels, and the impact of both treatment modality and clinical response on quality of life was examined. RESULTS The average age of the study population was 56.1 years (standard deviation ±11.82). Most patients (71.9%) were receiving conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, while 18.8% were treated with biological agents. Patients with moderate to high disease activity exhibited significantly lower SF-12 PCS and MCS scores (p<0.001). VAS pain scores were substantially elevated in those with higher disease activity levels (p<0.001). Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between psychological status, pain severity, and overall quality of life (p<0.001). CONCLUSION These findings underscore the importance of addressing both pain and psychological well-being in RA management. Improving quality of life requires more than symptom control-it necessitates a comprehensive and multidisciplinary therapeutic approach tailored to the physical and emotional needs of patients.
