LIFE EVENTS AND DISABILITY IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - A EUROPEAN COHORT

The objective was to study the relationship between life events (LE) a nd the clinical status of patients suffering from recently diagnosed r heumatoid arthritis (RA) in a 2 yr follow-up. As part of a multicentre European cohort study, 370 French and Dutch patients were questioned three times at I yr intervals about LE which had occurred in the previ ous year. Three criteria were used to quantify the degree of disease a ctivity (Ritchie's index), the level of functional disability [Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)] and perceived health [Overall Evaluati on of Health (OEH)]. Total LE and desirable LE showed a weak negative correlation with the HAQ scores. On the other hand, death-related LE d id not seem to modify patient status. The higher the number of health- associated LE, the greater the deterioration in HAQ and OEH scores. Th e results indicate that LE do not affect the course of early RA in a s pectacular manner.