Comparison functioning and quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Purpose: the aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of the osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of Outpatient Clinic Rehabilitation in Poznan. Material and methods: the study consisted of 97 oa patients, including 86 women and 11 men. Almost 123 patients with RA included of 102 women and 21 men. The mean age of the treated patients with OA was 11.50 and 11.10 years for RA patients. The Polish version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales-2 (AIMS -2) was used to assess the quality of life. AIMS-2 scores range from 0-10, with 0 representing good quality of life, 10 representing poor quality of life. Results: it was showed that the mean score on the aiMs -2 for OA patients was: physical – 3.53, affect – 4.42, symptom – 6.74, social interaction – 3.33, role – 4.20. Mean score on the AIMS-2 for RA patients was: physical – 3.73, affect – 4.48, symptom – 7.09, social interaction – 3.45, role – 3.63. The quality of life depended on the sex of these patients. Women of OA and RA patients scored significantly higher in the physical state and symptom then men. Younger patients and suffering shorter than 5 years demonstrated higher evaluation of quality of life in the physical state. The assessment in most of the subscales of the AIMS-2 correlated significantly with Pain, Morning Stiff ness and Grip Strength for OA and RA patients. Conclusion: this study showed that quality of life of oa and RA depends on gender, age and clinical variables.