Rheumatoide Arthritis – Warum sind Joint Counts wichtig?

Zusammenfassung

Die rheumatoide Arthritis (RA) ist eine vielschichtige Erkrankung, deren Krankheitsaktivität durch verschiedenste Parameter widergespiegelt wird. Globalscores durch den Arzt oder Patienten, Schmerzskalen oder Akutphaseparameter sind valide Methoden zur Beurteilung der Krankheitsaktivität der RA. Die Gelenke jedoch stellen das Zielorgan der Erkrankung dar, daher ist die Beurteilung der Gelenke hinsichtlich Schwellung und Druckschmerzhaftigkeit die zentrale und am wenigsten verfälschte Methode zur Beurteilung der Krankheitsaktivität der RA. Joint Counts sollten daher in keinem Fall fehlen. Idealerweise jedoch sollten mehrere der erwähnten Parameter kombiniert beurteilt werden, um die höchste Verlässlichkeit des Ergebnisses zu erzielen. Dies kann durch die Verwendung von Indizes ermöglicht werden.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multi-faceted disease. The disease activity of RA can be assessed by using various measures. The patient's and physician's global assessments of disease activity, pain scores, and acute phase measures are all valid methods to assess disease activity. However, the joints are the target organ of arthritis and, therefore, assessment of joint activity is the most direct and unbiased method to evaluate RA disease activity. Joint Counts should therefore not be omitted at any single occasion of disease activity assessment. Ideally, however, several of the mentioned measures should be used in a combined way to allow for the most reliable results. This can be achieved by using composite indices.

Schlüsselwörter

rheumatoide Arthritis - Joint Counts - Endpunkte

Key words

rheumatoid arthritis - joint counts - outcomes

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