How Were the Elderly RA Patients Doing Over the Past Year?—A Post Hoc Analysis for Telephone Based Following Up to RA Patients in Zunyi China

Abstract

Purpose: The quality of life (QoL) of elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Zunyi China based on health parameters has not been previously analyzed. This study compares the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores and prevailing health complications between <60y and ≥60y patients with RA. Data from 1166 patients with RA who visited the rheumatology department of Zunyi Medical University Hospital were followed up and retrospectively analyzed. Patients and Methods: Data from 1166 patients with RA who visited the rheumatology department of Zunyi Medical University Hospital (2021.1–2022.8) were followed up and retrospectively analyzed. Results: Twenty cases passed away at 61.55 ± 8.11y, which was 6.75 years less than the local average age of death. Elderly patients with RA reported lower recovery levels, and their levels of inflammatory markers such as Immunoglobulin M-rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher than those of younger patients during their past one-year observation period. The SF-36 results indicated that eight items of QoL in the elderly patients were all significantly inferior to <60y patients, while the complications of interstitial lung disease (ILD), latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and, lung and herpes zoster infections were significantly higher. Conclusion: Elderly patients had a higher disease activity along with poor QoL, more health-related complications, and susceptibility to infections. Our study emphasizes the imperative need for optimization of RA treatment modalities in the elderly to alleviate their sufferings.