Archives of the Balkan Medical Union (Mar 2019)

DISABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES

  • Natalia LOGHIN-OPREA,
  • Snejana VETRILA,
  • Lucia MAZUR-NICORICI,
  • Virginia SALARU,
  • Victoria SADOVICI-BOBEICA,
  • Minodora MAZUR

DOI
https://doi.org/10.31688/ABMU.2019.54.1.01
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 54, no. 1
pp. 12 – 17

Abstract

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Introduction. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders, characterized by chronic muscle weakness, low muscle endurance and by the presence of inflammatory cell infiltrates in muscle tissue, with organ damage and disability. The objective of the study was to determine the degree of disability in a Moldavian cohort of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, by Rankin’s scale. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study, from December 2015 to December 2018, in which were included patients with IIMs. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a special questionnaire, including employment status, upholding dose of corticosteroids. In order to estimate the degree of functional disability at the time of the research, we applied the modified Rankin’s scale, with possible scores from 0-no disability to 5-totally dependent. Results. 65 IIMs patients were enrolled in the study. Male to female ratio was 1:3.3, the patients’ mean age was 50.2±11.7 years, the mean disease duration 95.2±6.89 months. According to modified Rankin’s scale, the 1st degree was found in 20 cases (30.77%), the 2nd degree in 24 patients (36.92%), 11 patients (16.92%) had 3rd degree, 8 patients (12.31%) 4th degree, and 5th degree was determined in 2 patients (3.08%). Many variables were analyzed and we determined that the dose of prednisolone-equivalent <10 mg (RR 2.2; 95% CI 1.34 to 3.6, p<0.01) and disease duration less than 2 years are protective factors (RR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9, p<0.05) for severe degree of disability (≥ 3). Conclusion. Our study has shown that patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies have a mild disability in 67.69% of the cases, moderate in 16.92% and severe disability was found in 15.39% of the cases. The dose of prednisolone-equivalent <10 mg and disease duration less than 2 years were determined as protective factors against the severe degree of disability.

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