Hemn Hassan Mohamed; Raouf Rahim Merza
Abstract
Background: The risk of fractured vertebral increases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as they are more likely to suffer from osteopenia, and osteoporosis.Objectives: This study aimed to investigating the rate and risk factors of vertebral fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: ...
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Background: The risk of fractured vertebral increases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as they are more likely to suffer from osteopenia, and osteoporosis.Objectives: This study aimed to investigating the rate and risk factors of vertebral fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: We recruited 201 patients aged between 30 and 70 who attended the rheumatology department at Shahid Hemn Teaching Hospital in Sulaymaniyah, between January and September 2022. Medical records were reviewed for disease and treatment characteristics while also clinically evaluated by a rheumatologist. Spinal radiographs were assessed by two experienced radiologists blinded to patients’ clinical diagnosis and status. Compression fractures were classified by using the Genant semiquantitative method, and the type of fracture was classified as wedged fracture, biconcave fracture, or crushed fracture.Results: Of the 201 included participants, 151 were female, and 50 were male. The BMI of women was higher than men by nearly four points (P<0.001). Most women were also illiterate (68/151, 45.0%) and unemployed (139/151, 92.1%). Hypertension (28.4%) and diabetes mellitus (14.4%) were the most reported comorbidities. Women were more likely to have higher DAS28 scores while men had more vertebral fractures (P=0.003). The probability of fractures increased with age, male sex, and illiteracy compared to primary school, osteopenia, and osteoporosis through simple and multiple logistic regression models.Conclusion: With at least one fracture affects females and males at a rate of 27.8% and 52.0%, respectively. Also reported that age, male sex, illiteracy, osteopenia, and osteoporosis significantly increase the risk of fractures.
Raouf Rahim Merza; Lawen Jamal Mustafa
Abstract
Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, progressive, and disabling disease among rheumatological diseases.Objectives: Current study aimed to investigate the Time lag between the onset of symptoms and final diagnosis of AS, and also identify the factors that contribute to that delay in Sulaymaniyah ...
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Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, progressive, and disabling disease among rheumatological diseases.Objectives: Current study aimed to investigate the Time lag between the onset of symptoms and final diagnosis of AS, and also identify the factors that contribute to that delay in Sulaymaniyah province.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 104 (AS) patients who satisfied the modified New York 1984 criteria were enlisted. The time lag was defined as the diagnosis delay (DD) between the appearance of the first symptoms and the correct diagnosis of AS. Spearman correlation analysis was used to detect correlations between variables.Results: The higher percentage of variables with DD ≥ 6 years were urban 32 (74.4%), housewife 15(34.9%), had no family history 42 (97.7%), with high diploma 33 (76.7%), and positive HLAB27 31 (72.1%), the first specialist consulted orthopedics 21(48.8%) then GP 6 (14.9). Moreover, the higher percentage of variables with DD < 6 years were diagnosis years between 2000 to 2020, rural 55 (90.2), 39 (63.9%) respectively, higher education 47 (77%), employee and worker 22 (36.1%), positive family history 44 (72.1%), positive human leukocyte antigen (HLAB27-61) (100%), inflammatory back pain 47 (77%), rheumatologist 29 (47.5%). The average year’s DD is 6.48. A statistically significant positive correlation was detected between the DD and age, age at diagnosis but, a negative correlation was found between the DD time and, age at symptom onset.Conclusion: The Time lag between the onset of symptoms of AS and the final diagnosis in Sulaymaniyah was 6.48 years. (HLA-B27), age, age at diagnosis, education level, occupation, 1st specialist, 1st symptom at onset of disease and family history are the factors that affect delayed diagnosis in Sulaymaniyah patients with AS.