Poor sleep may worsen rheumatoid arthritis disability

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh links the sleep disturbance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to their significant risks of developing greater functional disability due to pain and fatigue symptoms, according to WebMD.com.

Study details
To find out sleep quality’s impact on the health and lives of patients with RA, the researchers examined 162 patients with the condition.

All patients, 76 percent of whom were female, had been diagnosed with RA for at least two years and had an average age of 58.5 years.

On average, each participant had RA for 14 years. Volunteers were presented with questionnaires on sleep quality, depression, and overall health.

Study findings
Based on information provided by patients on their fatigue, depression, severity of pain, and functional disability, the researchers found that 61 percent of participants were poor sleepers and 33 percent reported pain that disturbed their sleep at least three times per week.

“The primary finding of our study is that poor sleep quality is associated with greater functional disability among patients with [rheumatoid arthritis] and this relationship may be explained by pain severity and fatigue,” lead study author Faith S. Luyster, research assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, Pa., said in a news release.

“These results highlight the importance of addressing sleep complaints among patients with [rheumatoid arthritis],” she says.

“By treating sleep problems, either pharmacologically or behaviorally, symptoms and activity limitations associated with [rheumatoid arthritis] may be reduced.”

Sleep quality may worsen pain and fatigue
The researchers say functional disability possibly may affect depression, pain severity, and fatigue, which in turn may affect sleep quality, but it’s also likely that sleep quality may worsen pain and fatigue and increase risks of depression.

“Not sleeping well at night can contribute to greater pain sensitivity and fatigue during the day, which in turn can limit patient’s ability to engage in activities of daily living and discretionary activities,” Luyster said.

“Addressing sleep problems via pharmacological or behavioral interventions may have a critical impact on the health and lives of patients” with rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers write.

About rheumatoid arthritis
RA is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. The condition might as well affect other tissues and organs apart from the joints and result in extreme pain and immobilization.

Identifying the disease can be hard as the symptoms may be originally placid. In the initial stages, it can look like other diseases such as lupus-- disease of the connective tissues of the body that protect the organs, and osteoarthritis-- disease that destructs the joints, articular cartilage and the connecting bone.

According to the National Institute of Health, an estimated 1.3 million U.S. adults suffer from this chronic disorder.