In the News: The three most important symptoms to patients; Why Sjögren’s needs a rebranding; Verdict on which level of exercise is best for knee OA

16 Feb 2021

Three symptoms that rheumatology patients find most important to track

The symptoms that rheumatology patients find most important for tracking digitally over time are fatigue, physical function, pain, and morning joint stiffness, a study finds.

The survey of adult patients within the US ArthritisPower registry found that although fatigue was considered more important for participants with RA than with OA, across all rheumatic diseases, participants consistently prioritised PROMIS Pain Intensity, Pain Interference, Fatigue, and Physical Function as important symptoms to track.

According to the authors, their findings reinforce and clarify the conclusions of prior studies investigating PROs of interest to patients with rheumatic diseases.

Why Sjorgen’s needs to drop ‘syndrome’ from its moniker  

Rheumatologists have called for Sjögren’syndrome to have a rebranding, dropping syndrome in favour of ‘disease’.

Writing in a letter to the editor of Arthritis & Rheumatology they say their views are based on the recent precedence for name changes in rheumatology, together with the important differences between a syndrome and a disease.

“The struggle faced by Sjögren’s patients to gain recognition for this serious autoimmune disease is difficult when some describe it as a collection of nuisance symptoms,” they added.

High-intensity strength training for knee OA not supported by new study

High-intensity is no better than low-intensity strength training for reducing knee pain or knee joint compressive forces in people with knee OA, a JAMA trial shows.

The randomised trial of 377 adults, which included an attention control group, found no statistically significant differences in WOMAC pain scores at 18-month follow-up between the high-intensity group and the control group (5.1 vs 4.9; adjusted difference, 0.2; 95% CI, −0.6 to 1.1; P = .61) or between the high-intensity and low-intensity groups (5.1 vs 4.4; adjusted difference, 0.7; 95% CI, −0.1 to 1.6; P = .08). Mean knee joint compressive forces were also not statistically significantly different between the groups.

Already a member?

Login to keep reading.

OR
Email me a login link