OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of falls in fibromyalgia (FM) patients compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and normal controls. METHODS: We studied 60 FM, 60 RA patients and 60 controls for fall frequency in one week, one month, six months and one year. Patients were submitted to body mass index determination and balance evaluation through the Berg scale. Data on disease impact and depression were collected in FM patients through the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Beck Questionnaire. RESULTS: FM patients had a higher frequency of falls than RA patients and control individuals in one month (p<0.0001), in six months (p<0.0001) and in one year (p<0.0001). No relationship was found between falls and body mass index, pain or depression scores. Falls in 12 months were associated with higher FIQ values. CONCLUSION: FM patients fall more often than RA patients and control individuals. Level of Evidence II, Investigation of the effect of a patient characteristic on the disease outcome.

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Appearance of Secondary SS in RA patients is independent of RA duration or activity.

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RESUMOObjetivo: Examinar a prevalência de ceratoconjuntivite seca e de Síndrome de Sjögren (SS) secundária em pacientes com AR do sul do Brasil e analisar suas relações com duração e atividade da AR e classe funcional do paciente. Pacientes com artrite reumatóide (AR) podem ter ceratoconjuntivite seca, que é considerada uma manifestação extra-articular dessa doença. Métodos: Estudaram-se 82 pacientes com AR para sintomas de secura, Schirmer teste, DAS-28 ( índice de atividade da AR) e classe funcional. Resultados: Sintomas de secura ocular estavam presentes em 57,3%, Schirmer positivo em 41,2% e SS secundária em 24.3%. A presença de um teste positivo para o Schirmer ou da SS secundária não teve associação com duração de doença (p=0,65 and 0,80), atividade da AR (p=0,42 and 0,25) nem com a classe funcional do paciente (p= 0.84 and 0,79). Conclusão: Existe uma alta prevalência de síndrome sicca nos pacientes com AR; ¼ deles tem SS secundário. O aparecimento de SS secundário e da síndrome sicca é independentes de atividade, tempo de duração e do dano cumulativo gerado pela AR subjacente .Descritores: Olho seco/etiologia; Síndrome de Sjögren/etiologia; Artrite reumatóide/complicações ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the prevalence of keratoconjuntivitis sicca and secondary Sjögren syndrome (SS) in patients with RA from Southern Brazil and to analyze their relationship with RA duration, activity and patient's functional class. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have keratoconjuntivitis sicca that can be considered an extra articular manifestation of this disease. Methods: We studied 82 RA patients for sicca symptoms, Schirmer test, DAS-28 (RA activity index) and functional class. Results: There were eye sicca symptoms in 57.3%, positive Schirmer test in 41.2% and Secondary SS in 24.3%. The presence of a positive Schirmer test or the secondary SS had no relation with disease duration (p=0.65 and 0.80), RA activity (p=0,42 and 0,25) and neither with the patient's functional class (p= 0.84 and 0.79). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of sicca syndrome in RA patients; one fourth of them have secondary SS. Secondary SS and sicca syndrome occurrence is independent of underlying RA activity, duration and cumulative damage.

Objective: To study the relationship of the presence of secondary SS with disease activity, duration in RA. Methods: Eighty two patients with RA were submitted to Schirmer test, minor salivary gland biopsy, questionnaire on sicca symptoms, DAS-28 4v determination. Results: In this population, 20 (24.3%) patients fulfilled the American-European classification criteria for secondary SS. No relation could be found between the presence of secondary SS and disease activity (p = 0.31) and RA duration (p = 0.95). Conclusion: Appearance of Secondary SS in RA patients is independent of RA duration or activity.