麻豆传媒

Physical activity may improve quality of life and self-reported function in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

That's according to a lit review published recently in .

Of the 55 studies ultimately analyzed, 76%, 20%, and 4% focused on RA, SpA, and PsA, respectively. In the RA studies, physical activity had a positive impact on quality of life and function when compared with inactive controls. People in the SpA studies saw a significant postintervention improvement in overall quality of life. In the PsA studies, no effects on quality of life were found, but function was improved.

Nina Brodin, PhD, a researcher with the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, is co-author of the literature review. Here she discusses key findings with 麻豆传媒. The exchange has been edited for length and clarity.

What was the specific knowledge gap this study was designed to address?

Brodin: Previous systematic literature reviews in this area have mainly focused on the benefits of physical activity on specific outcomes, such as cardiorespiratory factors or muscle strength. However, in our opinion, there was a need for a study that focused more on the patient experience in relation to physical activity.

How would you summarize your findings?

Brodin: Physical activity can lead to less pain and fatigue. Patients with RA and SpA also saw improved mental function and physical performance.

There are only a few studies on SpA and very few on physical activity in PsA. Future research should focus on the effects of physical activity, especially in PsA.

What are the clinical implications of these findings?

Brodin: We would support the use of instruments capturing patient-reported outcomes. This can help to assess a larger variety of effects on physical activity in inflammatory arthritis. These measures can be used alongside more objective outcome measures.

We believe this approach can help improve both short- and long-term compliance with physical activity interventions. This can help patients with inflammatory arthritis reap the health benefits of activity.

How can clinicians change their day-to-day activities to better incorporate patient-reported information?

Brodin: Pain, fatigue, activity limitation, and other aspects can be evaluated alongside the objective measures related to physical activity interventions.

There is no doubt that physical activity is extremely important for the cardiovascular health of all our patients. But patients may not feel or notice these changes directly.

Emphasizing self-reported measures will capture how the patient experiences the effect of physical activity interventions. Patients' experiences and engagement in rehabilitation are known to be of the utmost importance for successful disease management.

Using knowledge about the effects of physical activity in terms of self-reported measures in everyday practice enables more effective patient-centered care and fosters adherence to physical activity interventions.

Implications for clinical practice

• Physical activity improves function and quality of life in people with inflammatory arthritis
• Pain, fatigue, mental performance all improved with activity
• Patient-reported data can facilitate engagement and adherence

Read the study here.