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To investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with sarcopenia in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We analyzed a cross-section of patients with RA participating in the Institute of Rheumatology Rheumatoid Arthritis cohort survey in 2021. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires, including a 5-item sarcopenia screening index (SARC-F). Patients with a SARC-F score of 4 or higher were categorized as having sarcopenia. Among 2416 Japanese patients with RA (2113 women and 303 men; mean age 63.9 years), 341 (14.1%) patients were categorized as having sarcopenia. In a multivariable analysis of patients of all ages, age, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, history of fracture, patient pain on a visual analog scale (VAS), patient or physician global assessments based on VAS, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), and corticosteroids were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with sarcopenia. Disease duration, patient global assessments based on VAS, and use of NSAIDs and bDMARDs were significantly associated with sarcopenia among the patients aged < 65 years, whereas age, female sex, BMI, disease duration, history of fracture, patient pain VAS and global assessments based on VAS, and use of bDMARDs and corticosteroids were significantly associated with sarcopenia in patients aged ≥ 65 years. In Japanese patients with RA, age, BMI, disease duration, history of fracture, patient pain VAS and global assessments based on VAS, and use of NSAIDs, bDMARDs, and corticosteroids were associated with sarcopenia. Among older patients with RA, female sex was additionally associated with sarcopenia. Key Points • To our knowledge, this is the first report showing factors associated with sarcopenia in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis using a large cohort database. • Age, BMI, disease duration, history of fracture, patient pain on a visual analog scale, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and corticosteroids were associated with sarcopenia in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Limited to elderly patients, female sex was also associated with sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of, and the factors associated with, frailty in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA enrolled in the Institute of Rheumatology Rheumatoid Arthritis (IORRA) cohort completed self-administered questionnaires, which included the 5-item frailty screening index. Patients were classified as frail, prefrail, or robust based on the 5 components of the frailty screening index. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between clinical variables and frailty. Among 3,290 Japanese patients with RA (86.7% female, mean age 62.4 years) who participated this frailty study, 549 (16.7%) patients were categorized as frailty, 2,063 (62.7%) as prefrailty, and 678 (20.6%) as robust. In multivariable models, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR] 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41 to 2.47), BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.71), disease activity scores in 28 joints (DAS28) (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.47), Japanese version of Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (J-HAQ) (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.52), the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.85), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.98), and methotrexate (MTX) use (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.94) were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with frailty. BMI (both overweight and underweight), DAS28, J-HAQ, EQ-5D, NSAID use, and MTX nonuse appear to be associated with frailty in Japanese patients with RA. Key Points • This is the largest study showing the prevalence and the associated factors of frailty in patients with RA. • Maintaining normal BMI appears to be important for preventing frailty in patients with RA. • We confirmed the significant associations of frailty with high disease activity, high degree of disability, and poor health related QOL in Japanese patients with RA. • NSAID use and MTX nonuse were associated with the frailty in Japanese patients with RA, which could be explained by patients' background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the impact of comorbidities on treatment strategies and outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using a large observational RA cohort, the presence of comorbidities was assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Changes in medication, disease activity by Disease Activity Score-28 joint count (DAS28) over 6 months, disability assessed by the Japanese version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ), and quality of life by EuroQOL-5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) over 1 year in patients with high disease activity (DAS28 > 5.1) at baseline were assessed according to age-adjusted CCI (CCI) and categorized into four groups (CCI 0, 1-2, 3-4, and ≥5). Among 5,317 patients, 975 patients (18.3 %) had at least one comorbidity listed by CCI. DAS28, J-HAQ, and EQ-5D increased in severity with increased CCI levels. Among patients with high disease activity ( n = 267), treatment with methotrexate and/or biologics and improved DAS28 scores, shown by attenuated intensity, were associated with increased CCI levels. J-HAQ improved from 1.29 ± 0.31 to 0.87 ± 0.37 in 1 year in the CCI 0 group. The adjusted difference (standard error) in J-HAQ at 1 year in CCI 1-2, 3-4, and ≥5 groups was worse than J-HAQ in the CCI 0 group by 0.32 (0.09, p < 0.001), 0.45 (0.10, p < 0.001), and 0.45 (0.15, p < 0.01), respectively. The magnitude of improvement of EQ-5D was significantly attenuated with increasing CCI levels. Thus, patients with comorbidities may not experience the same degree of benefit from recent RA treatments compared with patients without comorbidities in daily practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]