Fulltext

Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Stratified by Hemoglobin Levels: A Multi-center Study

Al-Mazedi MS 1 , Rajan R 2 , Al-Herz A 3 , Alsaber A 4 , Al-Jarallah M 2 , Dashti R 2 Show all authors , Setiya P 5 , Saleh K 6 , Al-Awadhi A 7 , Al-Kandari W 6 , Hasan E 3 , Mokaddem K 3 , Ghanem A 8 , Alenizi A 9 , Zhanna KD 10 , Al Obaid L 11

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 2 Department of Cardiology, Sabah Al Ahmed Cardiac Centre, Al Amiri Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 3 Department of Rheumatology, Al Amiri Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 4 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
  • 5 Department of Agrometeorology, College of Agriculture, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, India
  • 6 Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Farwaniya Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 7 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 8 Department of Internal Medicine, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 9 Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Jahra Hospital, Jahra Governorate, Kuwait
  • 10 Department of Internal Medicine, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia
  • 11 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland
Oman Med J, 2024 Sep;39(5):e671.
PMID: 40196802 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2024.101

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Hemoglobin (Hb) level and its relation to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is multifactorial. The primary aim of this study was to examine the association between Hb levels and disease activity in patients with RA.

METHODS: This retrospective study obtained data from adult RA patients with Hb reports from the Kuwait Registry for Rheumatic Diseases. Patients were recruited from four public hospitals in Kuwait between February 2013 and February 2022. The cohort was stratified into two groups: Hb ≤ 110 g/L and Hb > 110 g/L. Demographic, treatment, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were used to compare the two Hb groups. Multivariate and univariate statistical analyses were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS: The total number of patients visited (Nv) was 11 393 and consecutive patients with RA diagnoses and Hb data (Np) were 1584. Both Nv and Np were included in the study. Of these, 72.5% (n = 8260) had high Hb levels and 27.5% (n = 3133) had low Hb levels. The average age of the cohort was 55.9 ± 12.5 years. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a greater number of non-Kuwaiti patients had anemia than Kuwaiti patients [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.16-1.56; p < 0.001). Patients who received biologic treatment were more likely to be non-anemic [aOR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.23-1.45; p < 0.001). Additionally, the study demonstrated that patients with anemia had greater odds of acquiring Disease Activity Score -28 joint count (DAS-28) ≥ 3.2 versus DAS-28 < 3.2 [aOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.90; p = 0.002].

CONCLUSIONS: Lower Hb levels in RA are an independent predictor of disease activity.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Similar publications