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- Sokka, T., et al.
(author)
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Disparities in rheumatoid arthritis disease activity according to gross domestic product in 25 countries in the QUEST-RA database
- 2009
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 68:11, s. 1666-1672
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To analyse associations between the clinical status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) and the gross domestic product (GDP) of their resident country. Methods: The Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) cohort includes clinical and questionnaire data from 6004 patients who were seen in usual care at 70 rheumatology clinics in 25 countries as of April 2008, including 18 European countries. Demographic variables, clinical characteristics, RA disease activity measures, including the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), and treatment-related variables were analysed according to GDP per capita, including 14 "high GDP'' countries with GDP per capita greater than US$ 24 000 and 11 "low GDP'' countries with GDP per capita less than US$ 11 000. Results: Disease activity DAS28 ranged between 3.1 and 6.0 among the 25 countries and was significantly associated with GDP (r = -0.78, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.90, r(2) = 61%). Disease activity levels differed substantially between "high GDP'' and "low GDP'' countries at much greater levels than according to whether patients were currently taking or not taking methotrexate, prednisone and/or biological agents. Conclusions: The clinical status of patients with RA was correlated significantly with GDP among 25 mostly European countries according to all disease measures, associated only modestly with the current use of antirheumatic medications. The burden of arthritis appears substantially greater in "low GDP'' than in "high GDP'' countries. These findings may alert healthcare professionals and designers of health policy towards improving the clinical status of patients with RA in all countries.
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| 2. |
- Naranjo, A., et al.
(author)
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Smokers and non-smokers with rheumatoid arthritis have similar clinical status : data from the multinational QUEST-RA database
- 2010
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In: Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. - 0392-856X .- 1593-098X. ; 28:6, s. 820-827
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives To analyse clinical severity/activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to smoking status. Methods The QUEST-RA multinational database reviews patients for Core Data Set measures including 28 swollen and tender joint count, physician global estimate, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), HAQ-function, pain, and patient global estimate, as well as DAS28, rheumatoid factor (RE), nodules, erosions and number of DMARDs were recorded. Smoking status was assessed by self-report as "never smoked", "currently smoking" and "former smokers". Patient groups with different smoking status were compared for demographic and RA measures. Results Among the 7,307 patients with smoking data available, status as "never smoked," "current smoker" and "former smoker" were reported by 65%, 15% and 20%. Ever smokers were more likely to be RF-positive (OR 1.32; 1.17-1.48, p<0.001). Rheumatoid nodules were more frequent in ever smokers (OR 1.41; 1.24-1.59, p<0.001). The percentage of patients with erosive arthritis and extra-articular disease was similar in all smoking categories. Mean DAS28 was 4.4 (SD 1.6) in non-smokers vs. 4.0 (SD 1.6) in those who had ever smoked. However, when adjusted by age, sex, disease duration, and country gross domestic product, only ESR remained significantly different among Core Data Set measures (mean 31.7mm in non-smokers vs. 26.8mm in ever smoked category). Conclusion RA patients who had ever smoked were more likely to have RF and nodules, hut values for other clinical status measures were similar in all smoking categories (never smoked, current smokers and former smokers).
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| 3. |
- Price, T. Douglas, et al.
(author)
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Human remains, context, and place of origin for the Salme, Estonia, boat burials
- 2020
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In: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. - : ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. - 0278-4165 .- 1090-2686. ; 58
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Isotopic proveniencing of all individuals from the ship and boat burials at Salme, Estonia, is the subject of this study of the interred human remains from around AD 750, at the beginning of the Viking period. The isotopic results indicate that the majority of these individuals came from a region with higher strontium isotopic ratios than those found in Estonia. There were five individuals, buried in Salme II-the ship burial with 34 individuals-who exhibited lower strontium isotope ratios that might have come from the Swedish island of Gotland or several other possible places. The combination of isotopic signals and archaeological information suggests that the majority of buried individuals (those with higher strontium isotope ratios) came from the Malaren Valley in east-central Sweden.
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