Prevalence of hand symptoms, impairments and activity limitations in rheumatoid arthritis in relation to disease duration.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hand and wrist symptoms and impairments, and the resulting activity limitations in relation to disease duration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Design And Patients: A cross-sectional study included 200 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 4 categories of disease duration: 2-4, 4-6, 6-8 and ≥ 8 years. Patients were asked about the presence of various hand and wrist symptoms, and underwent a standardized physical examination. To evaluate activity limitations, patients completed the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand questionnaire and scored their limitations on a Numerical Rating Scale (0 = no to 10 = maximum limitation).

Results: Of all patients, 94% suffered from at least one symptom, and 67% had at least one impairment, mostly from the earliest stages onwards. The median standardized Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand score (interquartile range) was 26.7 (10.8-42.5). The mean Numerical Rating Scale score for activity limitations was 2.99 (standard deviation 2.50) in the dominant hand and 2.59 (standard deviation 2.49) in the non-dominant hand.

Conclusion: A high prevalence of hand and wrist symptoms and impairments is often already present after 2 years of disease duration. We recommend that physicians specifically screen for these symptoms and impairments, starting 2 years after the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.