Clinical trial NCT06767618: Investigation of Upper Extremity Functions in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Official title: Investigation of Upper Extremity Exercise Capacity, Hand Grip Strength and Daily Living Activities in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Keywords: exercise capacity
upper extremity
hand-grip strength
Lead sponsor: Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-01-10
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Rheumatoid arthritis patients between the ages of 18-75 who are clinically in remission and are being followed up at the Kirsehir Ahi Evran University Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department polyclinic will be included in the study. As a control group, healthy individuals who are similar to the patients in terms of age and gender and do not have any disease will be included in the study.

Brief summary: There are limited studies in the literature evaluating upper extremity functional exercise capacity, muscle functions and daily living activities in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate upper extremity exercise capacity, hand grip strength and daily living activities in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Detailed description: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune chronic and systemic disease of unknown etiology. In addition to musculoskeletal involvement, lung involvement can also be observed in patients. Lung involvement and accompanying symptoms cause deterioration of physical function, quality of life and functional capacity. In rheumatoid arthritis, dyspnea can be observed during exertion due to disease progression, drug toxicity and respiratory/cardiovascular morbidities. In patients, decreased respiratory muscle strength, respiratory functions, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity and oxygen consumption also cause decreased physical functions. It has been reported that upper extremity exercise capacity and functional performance are reduced in patients with interstitial lung disease. It is known that peripheral muscle strength is an independent determinant of exercise capacity in interstitial lung disease. Rheumatoid cachexia, characterized by decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass, is observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Since the patients' accessory respiratory muscles are also affected, it can negatively affect their daily life activities, especially those that use the upper extremities.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

* Patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis,
* Between the ages of 18-75 years,
* Patients who volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Inclusion criteria for the healthy control group

* Between the ages of 18-75 years,
* Volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

* Those with serious cardiopulmonary, neurological, neuromuscular, orthopedic and other systemic diseases or other diseases affecting physical functions,
* Those who have participated in a planned exercise program in the last three months
* Those with cognitive impairment that will cause difficulty in understanding and following exercise test instructions
* Patients with contraindications for exercise testing or exercise training according to the American Sports Medicine Association will not be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria for the healthy control group

* Those with any diagnosed chronic or systemic disease,
* Those who smoke 10 packs x years or more,
* Those who have pneumonia or any acute infection,
* Healthy individuals with any psychiatric disorder will not be included in the study.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Evaluation of Upper Extremity Exercise Capacity
timeFrame: First day and second day
measure: Glittre Activities of Daily Living
timeFrame: Second day
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Hand-grip strength
timeFrame: First day
measure: Evaluation of upper extremity functional status
timeFrame: First day
measure: Evaluation of arm and shoulder muscle strength and endurance
timeFrame: Second day
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kırşehir
country: Turkey
facility: Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center, Cardiopulmonary Unit
state: Merkez
Study officials:
affiliation: Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
name: Başak KAVALCI KOL, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
name: Merve FIRAT, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
name: Figen TUNCAY, Prof. Dr.
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Palugan MJA, Assis ACB, Bessa EJC, Ferreira AS, Lopes AJ. Predictors of functional capacity as measured by the Glittre activities of daily living test in women with rheumatoid arthritis. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2021 Mar 15;54(5):e10040. doi: 10.1590/1414-431X202010040. eCollection 2021.
citation: Higgins SC, Adams J, Hughes R. Measuring hand grip strength in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Int. 2018 May;38(5):707-714. doi: 10.1007/s00296-018-4024-2. Epub 2018 Apr 6.