The Influence of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Work Productivity among a Sample of Iraqi Patients

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that impact daily life activities. The impact on work productivity is critical because of persistent work disability. Aim: To evaluate work productivity in RA patients compared to healthy controls, and to assess the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on work productivity. Methods: This was a case-control study conducted at the Rheumatology Unit of Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City during the period from August 2020 to the end of March 2021. Seventy-two patients with RA were selected and compared with 72 healthy subjects as a control group. All patients were diagnosed according to ACR/EULAR 2010 RA classification criteria. The socio-demographic and clinical features, lifestyle practices, and disease activity of the patients and controls were all recorded during interviews. A standardized Arabic version of the Workplace Activity Limitation Scale (WALS) and the Job Limitations Questionnaire were used to assess the impact of RA on work productivity (WLQ-25). Results: The vast majority of patients were females (58.1%). Positive rheumatoid factor was reported in 94.4% of the patients. The patients showed a significantly lower WALS total score and higher WLQ-25 total score median (IQR) compared with controls. Conclusion: Active RA impairs the work productivity which was influenced by CDAI score and negatively associated with the use of DMARDs.

Impact of MTHFR gene polymorphism on the outcome of methotrexate treatment in a sample of Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients

“…In a study in Erbil City, the mean age was 47.4 ± 10.6 years, with females representing 72.30% of the patients 61 . In a study done in Baghdad city, the mean age was 46.5 years, with 58.1% of the patients being females 62 . In a large study that involved several Iraqi cities, the mean age was 48.1 ± 12.1 years, and 83% were females 63 .…”