Body mass index (BMI) is associated with women not achieving low disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), but not men.
Researchers aimed to assess the differences in disease activity and health-related quality of life in PsA in women compared with men and determine factors associated with failing to reach low disease activity. Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS), skin/nail disease, 12-item Short Form Health Survey with Physical and Mental Component Summary, and inflammatory back pain (IBP) were compared in women and men.
Women had more severe PsA than men, with worse scores for PASDAS, swollen and tender joints, C-reactive protein, enthesitis, and function. In the overall sample, nail disease, IBP, number of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs used (past and current), and BMI were associated with not reaching treatment target. However, BMI was only associated with women not reaching low disease activity.
“Women with PsA in a tightly monitored and treated setting have more severe disease than men,” concluded the study authors. “This is demonstrated by worse scores for women in both subjective and objective disease activity measures, in addition to women less often reaching the treatment target,” they continued. “Notably, being overweight is associated with higher disease activity in women, but not men.” –Lisa Kuhns
Reference
Mulder MLM, Wenink MH, Vriezekolk JE. Being overweight is associated with not reaching low disease activity in women but not men with psoriatic arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published online April 8, 2021. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab338
