Abstract

ACOSTA HERNANDEZ, Reinaldo R; CASTELL PEREZ, Concepción; HERNANDEZ DUARTE, María Julia  and  PERNAS GONZALEZ, Abel. Morbidity and mortality present in a group of Cuban patients presenting with rheumatoid arthritis. Rev cubana med [online]. 2009, vol.48, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-302X.

Introduction: Life expectancy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is lower than that of control-populations, and there is a close relationship with morbidity. Objectives: to identify frequency of morbidity, mortality, and variables related to its increase. Methods: Sample included 172 sick persons fulfilled criteria of American College of Rheumatology, seen in Rheumatology Service of "Comandante Manuel Fajardo" University Hospital during 6 years. In 136 patients 13 variables were measured and were compared with that of deceased in such period and we applied measures of central trend, dispersion, percentages, morbidity, and relationship with mortality. Results: The 65.1 % of cases had morbidities (mean of 1.58 by patient), where the more frequent included: high blood pressure/26.7 %, diabetes mellitus/9.3 %, and thyroid disease/8.7 %. There were 9 deceased and a mortality rate of 5.2 %; the more frequent causes were: cardiovascular disease, and digestive bleeding. In deceased ones, higher figures were present in following variables: mean age (65.2 % versus 55.9 %), low cultural level (88.8 versus 36.7 %), globular sedimentation speed (77 ± 29,9 versus 49.8 ± 40.7), self-applied questionnaire to measure inability, and the number or morbidities was closely related to mortality.

Keywords : Rheumatoid disease; mortality; morbidity; cultural level; speed of globular sedimentation (GSV); self-applied questionnaire to measure inability..

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