Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study

Background/objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that significantly impairs patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Early diagnosis and improved disease management can alleviate a patient and country's financial burden. The study aimed to evalua...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Amer, Saleh Ahmed, Muhammad Akhlaq, Hoorain Bibi, Ishmal, Muhammad Ishfaq, Muhammad Nouman Arshad, Simrah Rehman Malik, Ali Ahmed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425002404
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author Muhammad Amer
Saleh Ahmed
Muhammad Akhlaq
Hoorain Bibi
Ishmal
Muhammad Ishfaq
Muhammad Nouman Arshad
Simrah Rehman Malik
Ali Ahmed
author_facet Muhammad Amer
Saleh Ahmed
Muhammad Akhlaq
Hoorain Bibi
Ishmal
Muhammad Ishfaq
Muhammad Nouman Arshad
Simrah Rehman Malik
Ali Ahmed
author_sort Muhammad Amer
collection DOAJ
description Background/objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that significantly impairs patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Early diagnosis and improved disease management can alleviate a patient and country's financial burden. The study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of RA patients in Rawalpindi to highlight its debilitating nature in the national context. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluates the HRQoL of RA patients in Rawalpindi using the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) scale. The study involved 400 participants from the outpatient department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, primarily middle-aged women, assessing various domains of health, including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and depression. Results: A significant decrease in HRQoL was observed in RA patients, influenced by the duration and severity of the disease (p-value = 0.00). The mean EQ-5D index score was 0.4 ± 0.4, while the mean VAS score was 54.7 ± 16.5. Most participants (43 %) experienced moderate disease intensity, with diabetes (27.8 %) and high blood pressure (20 %) being common comorbidities. Pain and physical impairments significantly impacted daily activities and emotional well-being, with 23.5 % of patients reporting moderate problems in multiple dimensions of the EQ-5D scale. Conclusion: RA has a profound impact on the HRQoL of patients in Rawalpindi. The effect is significantly associated with disease severity and duration, highlighting the need for comprehensive management strategies like early disease diagnosis and prompt treatment to improve the quality of life for RA patients.
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spelling doaj-art-8ea462ae1a8b4d45a8c521b8bc32a7052025-08-20T03:58:07ZengElsevierClinical Epidemiology and Global Health2213-39842025-09-013510215110.1016/j.cegh.2025.102151Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional studyMuhammad Amer0Saleh Ahmed1Muhammad Akhlaq2Hoorain Bibi3 Ishmal4Muhammad Ishfaq5Muhammad Nouman Arshad6Simrah Rehman Malik7Ali Ahmed8Department of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Corresponding author. Department of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.Department of Community Medicine, Wah Medical College, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Islamabad, PakistanDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States; Corresponding author. Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States.Background/objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that significantly impairs patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Early diagnosis and improved disease management can alleviate a patient and country's financial burden. The study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of RA patients in Rawalpindi to highlight its debilitating nature in the national context. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluates the HRQoL of RA patients in Rawalpindi using the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) scale. The study involved 400 participants from the outpatient department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, primarily middle-aged women, assessing various domains of health, including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and depression. Results: A significant decrease in HRQoL was observed in RA patients, influenced by the duration and severity of the disease (p-value = 0.00). The mean EQ-5D index score was 0.4 ± 0.4, while the mean VAS score was 54.7 ± 16.5. Most participants (43 %) experienced moderate disease intensity, with diabetes (27.8 %) and high blood pressure (20 %) being common comorbidities. Pain and physical impairments significantly impacted daily activities and emotional well-being, with 23.5 % of patients reporting moderate problems in multiple dimensions of the EQ-5D scale. Conclusion: RA has a profound impact on the HRQoL of patients in Rawalpindi. The effect is significantly associated with disease severity and duration, highlighting the need for comprehensive management strategies like early disease diagnosis and prompt treatment to improve the quality of life for RA patients.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425002404DepressionHealth-related quality of lifePainPakistanRheumatoid arthritis
spellingShingle Muhammad Amer
Saleh Ahmed
Muhammad Akhlaq
Hoorain Bibi
Ishmal
Muhammad Ishfaq
Muhammad Nouman Arshad
Simrah Rehman Malik
Ali Ahmed
Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health
Depression
Health-related quality of life
Pain
Pakistan
Rheumatoid arthritis
title Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
title_full Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
title_short Assessment of health-related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional study
title_sort assessment of health related quality of life among patients of rheumatoid arthritis in rawalpindi a cross sectional study
topic Depression
Health-related quality of life
Pain
Pakistan
Rheumatoid arthritis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425002404
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