Influência dos elementos meteorológicos na qualidade de vida de pacientes com osteoartrite de mãos.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis has a broad spectrum, usually involving peripheral joints such as knees, hips and hands. Environmental factors such as those related to weather elements, possibly worsen the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Given the scarcity of studies of the relationship of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and weather, and more specifically osteoarthritis of the hands, the study aimed to investigate the relation between pain, stiffness and function of the hands of patients with osteoarthritis and the meteorological elements, using the questionnaire evaluation and quantification of chronic rheumatic diseases of the hands, and evaluate the quality of life related to health using the SF-36. The study consisted of a prospective cohort study conducted in Campina Grande – PB, involving 32 patients with osteoarthritis of the hands, held in July and November of 2009, representing the warm and cold periods, respectively. The specific questionnaire for chronic rheumatic diseases of the hands, were answered on predetermined days, three times a week and the generic questionnaire on quality of life related to health, the SF-36, in the beginning of each month following the month of the quiz. Through bivariate and multiple regresion, the results of the scores were correlated meteorological variables such as atmospheric pressure, precipitation, temperature and relative humidity in the days of the questionnaire, the day before and day, resulting 12 variables. All participants were female, mean age 62 9 years. In response to the SF-36, the physical pain was the one with lower scores corresponding to the months of July and November (51 19 and 46 15) without significant difference (p=0.21). The function of the hands and the pain was significantly associated with three or more variables of weather on 17 and 11 patients respectively. Multivariate analysis explained between 58% and 87% (R2) the variance function in 13 patients, while the change in pain was explained between 52% and 88% (R2) in eight patients with a combination of at least three variables of weather. The patients differed in the variables and the direction of the association, but there was a predominance of negative correlation with temperature. Patients sensitive to weather variables showed age of 67 years ( 7) while non-sensitive were aged 60 uears ( 9) with significant difference (p<0.009). In conclusion, the physical aspects of the SF-36 scored low, consistent with a disease that presents joint involvement of hands. The sensitivity to meteorological variables in patients with osteoarthritis of the hands was seen as an individual phenomenon and related to older age. The function of the hands and the pain was significantly associated with three or more variables of time, highlighting the dominance of the inverse relationship with temperature.