It's still
a big question, but we're getting closer to an answer. People with rheumatoid
arthritis often complain about the influence of weather an disease activity.
There were two studies at the ACR 2013 Meeting in San Diego addressing the
issue.
T. Sawada and colleagues presented
the following study [Abstract #1356]: "Disease
Activity Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Influenced By Seasonal Change, As Analyzed
Based On a Nationwide Japanese Cohort Database." This study looked more at
seasonal variations than weather and found, that "RA disease activity, as
assessed both subjectively and objectively, was lowest in fall." Sorry,
that won't get us any further, though one would have to take this account, when
doing studies in Japan.
E. Savage and colleagues presented
the second study [Abstract #1359]: "Does
Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Correlate With Weather Conditions?"
The authors come mostly from Belfast, Northern Ireland, but one also from St.
Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, where I had the pleasure to do some
research on DRGs. I guess that the data has been collected in Belfast. 133
patients either on stable etanercept or adalimumab were recruited for this
study. The authors lokked at "three weather components from the seven
quantitative variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, hours of
sunshine, mm rainfall, relative humidity, wind-speed and pressure)."
Conclusion: "This study demonstrates statistically significant
lower DAS-28 scores in sunny and dry conditions. A non-significant trend to
higher DAS-28 scores in times of low temperature, and dull, wet and windy
weather was also noted." I'm surprised to hear about sunny and dry weather
in Belfast, but now we have statistically significant results that prove
patients complaints.
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