[Reliability and validition of the Slovak modified version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire using the functional disability index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Background: Functional disability is one of the most important consequences of RA in the patient's daily life. The HAQ has been widely used in its self administered form for the assessment of disability. A sensitive and valid instrument is needed for a Slovak population with RA.

[Pain and rheumatoid arthritis].

Objective: Chronic pain is an important part of the clinical picture in patients with RA and therefore the authors attempted to assess the relationship of pain of patients with RA to the inflammatory process, articular damage and to predict the variance of pain in relation to psychosocial, demographic factors and functional disability.

Method: Pain was examined using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), psychological health by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and disability was assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ).

Results: The authors examined 160 patients with RA with a mean age of 48.

[The Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) in the evaluation of severity of rheumatoid arthritis].

Background: The functional ability of the patient in chronic diseases reflects the severity of the pathological process and the success of treatment.

Objective: Evaluation of the functional ability of patients with RA and assessment of the influence of the pathological process on the performance of simple everyday tasks.

Methods: Physical capacity and functional ability were examined using the Groningen activity restriction scale (GARS) and Health Assessment Quesionnaire (HAQ).