Study: Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Women More Quickly Than Men

The ability of women with rheumatoid arthritis to function appears to deteriorate more rapidly following diagnosis than is the case with men, according to Swedish researchers.

The researchers at Linköping University initiated a study in 1996 of 284 patients who had been recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in an effort to better understand the clinical course of the disease, and differences between women and men in disease progression.

While progression of rheumatoid arthritis is unpredictable, other studies have suggested that without treatment the greatest deterioration occurs within the first two years.

The majority of patients in the Swedish study were given disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. Researchers said significant and rapid improvement in the disease was observed for both men and women during the first three months after which it remained stable.

The measures of function -- range of movement, hand function, walking time -- also showed the same early improvement, but tended to worsen after the first year, the researchers reported.

But results from a Health Assessment Questionnaire -- the patient's self-reported assessment of functional capacity -- found that men scored better than women throughout the study.

"Health Assessment Questionnaire scores were similar at baseline, but significantly worse in women than in men at the one and two year follow ups," the researchers reported.

"Although disease variables were similar for men and women, functional ability had a less favourable course in women," the researchers concluded..

Other sources: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases