Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation (Jan 2018)

Using Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index-5 questionnaire in the assessment of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with quality of life, pain, and functional status

  • Shereen R Kamel

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_31_17
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 45, no. 2
pp. 43 – 48

Abstract

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Objective The aim of our study was to assess the disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index-5 (RADAI‑5) questionnaire and to find its correlation with Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28), quality of life, pain, and functional status. Patients and methods A total of 40 patients with RA were included. Quality of life was evaluated by Quality of Life–Rheumatoid Arthritis scale. The severity of pain was measured by 100-mm visual analog scale-pain. Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index was used to evaluate functional status. Disease activity was measured by using the DAS28 and RADAI-5. Results Mean RADAI-5 score was 4.2±1.7 (moderate disease activity). A total of seven (17.5%) patients were in remission, four (10%) patients had mild disease activity, 19 (47.5%) patients had moderate disease activity, and 10 (25%) patients had high disease activity. RADAI-5 was significantly correlated with DAS28, quality of life scale, pain scale, and functional status (r=0.9, P<0.001; r=0.9, P<0.001; r=0.4, P=0.02; and r=0.6, P<0.001, respectively). Moreover, RADAI-5 was found to be significantly correlated with morning stiffness duration, Ritchie articular index, tender 28-joint count, swollen 28-joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anticyclic citrullinated peptide, and rheumatoid factor positivity (r=0.3, P=0.03; r=0.8, P<0.001; r=0.9, P<0.001; r=0.7, P<0.001; r=0.6, P<0.001; r=0.6, P<0.001; and r=0.4, P=0.008, respectively). Conclusion RADAI-5 is a simple and low-cost self-report questionnaire that reflects patients’ perception of signs and symptoms. The correlations of RADAI-5 with DAS28, quality of life, pain, and functional status reflect its value in the assessment of disease activity in patients with RA.

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