Osteoarthritis medical labelling and health-related quality of life in the general population

Abstract

BackgroundOsteoarthritis is the most common chronic joint disease. In the absence of an effective medical treatment and due to the chronic nature of this condition, an osteoarthritis medical diagnosis may finally result in decreased health-related quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure the impact of the osteoarthritis medical labelling on physical and mental health-related quality of life.MethodsSubjects (n = 1132, 58.7% women) were approached as participants of an urban population-based cohort (EPIPorto). Self-reported information on previous diagnosis of knee, hip or hand osteoarthritis was obtained and rheumatologists established knee, hip or hand osteoarthritis clinical diagnosis in symptomatic individuals. Physical and mental dimensions of health-related quality of life were evaluated using the self-administered Medical Outcomes Study: 36-Item Short Form Survey. Crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients (beta) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were computed to estimate the associations between being labelled as an osteoarthritis case and health-related quality of life.ResultsRegardless of disease medical labelling, individuals with osteoarthritis scored significantly lower physical health-related quality of life when compared to those without joint disease (kneeunexposed: beta = −5.3, 95% CI: −7.6, −3.1; kneeexposed: beta = −6.0, 95% CI: −8.4, −3.7; hipunexposed: beta = −6.0, 95% CI: −9.8, −2.3; hipexposed: beta = −11.0, 95% CI: −15.6, −6.4; handunexposed: beta = −4.3, 95% CI: −6.5, −2.0; handexposed: beta = −4.3, 95% CI: −6.6, −2.1). The same was not observed regarding mental health-related quality of life. Among subjects with clinically confirmed osteoarthritis, the medical labelling of this joint disease was not significantly associated to health-related quality of life.ConclusionsThe labelling of knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis diagnosis may not add specific benefit to osteoarthritis patients in terms of its capability to improve health-related quality of life.

Quality of Life in Patients With Rotator Cuff Arthropathy

“…The predominant impact on the physical component of QOL has been observed by other authors. 5 , 6 Our study also stressed that the arthropathy of the rotator cuff significantly affects shoulder pain and function when these are analyzed by the VAS and ASES scale. The other studies comparing patients with osteoarthritis in other joints with healthy controls do not assess these outcomes.…”

“…Scales that assess quality of life (QOL) are often used in studies of osteoarthritis. The significant impact this condition has on patient QOL has already been described for osteoarthritis of the knee, 3 - 6 the hip, 3 , 5 , 6 and the hand. 6 , 7 …”

“…Sick individuals tend to have poorer outcomes on the mental component of this scale. Several studies have demonstrated the impact of osteoarthritis of the knee, 3 - 6 the hip, 3 , 5 , 6 and the hand 6 , 7 in QOL, comparing sick individuals with healthy controls. However, these studies do not evaluate the involvement of the glenohumeral joint, whether by primary osteoarthrosis or arthropathy of the rotator cuff.…”

Expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 and B-cell lymphoma-2 in the synovial membrane in patients with knee osteoarthritis

“…Furthermore, with the progressive aging of the population, the KOA patients and the society as a whole are facing huge economic pressures. With the continuous progress of molecular biology and genetic engineering, scholars in China and other countries have made in-depth analyses on osteoarthritis from the perspective of pathogenesis, providing new approaches for the treatment and diagnosis of KOA ( 12 , 13 ).…”

Impact of Rehabilitation on Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Hip Osteoarthritis

“…Although quality of life cannot be described with bodily symptoms or the absence of an illness, social and emotional perceptions have an impact on this concept (9). HRQoL uses measurements of health outcomes that have been demonstrated to affect patients (7).…”