Marital status and age of systemic lupus erythematous diagnosis: the potential for differences related to sex and gender.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic rheumatic diseases can challenge social and family relationships. We compared marital status in patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) with their general population counterparts, stratified by sex and age of SLE onset. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of 382 patients with SLE at our centre (349 females, 33 males). We determined how many were married or living common-law at the time of last study visit. Patients were then divided into: SLE diagnosis before 18, between 18 and 30, between 31 and 44 and after 45 years of age. We then compared marital status among male and female patients with SLE, to Quebec age-specific marital statistics. RESULTS: Of 382 patients with SLE, 202 (52.9%) were married or living common-law, which was 9% lower than general population rates (95% CI 2% to 16%). One-third of women with paediatric-onset SLE were married or living common-law, which was 28% lower than their general population counterparts (95% CI 6% to 46%). Half of women diagnosed between age 18 and 30 were married or living common law, which was 14% less than general population rates (95% CI 4% to 25%). We could not establish significant differences for women diagnosed after age 30, or for males, versus their general population counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Women diagnosed with SLE before age 30 were less likely to be married/living common-law, versus general population rates. This was not apparent for those diagnosed later in life. We did not clearly establish this effect in males, possibly due to power issues (vs a true effect of sex/gender). Additional studies (eg, focus groups) could elucidate reasons for our findings.

The Measurable Benefits of a Workplace Wellness Program in Canada: Results After One Year.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an employee wellness program in Canada. METHODS: A comprehensive program including web-based lifestyle challenges was evaluated with annual health screenings. RESULTS: Among 730 eligible employees, 688 (94%) registered for the program, 571 (78%) completed a health screening at baseline, and 314 (43%) at 1 year. Most (66%) employees tracked their activity for more than 6 weeks. At 1-year follow-up, there were significant clinical improvements in systolic blood pressure -3.4 mm Hg, and reductions in poor sleep quality (33% to 28%), high emotional stress (21% to 15%), and fatigue (11% to 6%). A positive dose-response was noted where the greatest improvements were observed among those who participated the most. CONCLUSION: The program had high employee engagement. After 1 year, the benefits included clinically important improvements in physical and mental health.

Toward the development of a lupus interactive navigator to facilitate patients and their health care providers in the management of lupus: results of web-based surveys.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus is an inflammatory autoimmune disease associated with high morbidity and unacceptable mortality. Information and management tools are needed to help persons with lupus cope with their illness and facilitate health care providers in the delivery of care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the needs and find solutions to support persons with lupus and their health care providers. METHODS: Web-based surveys were distributed across Canada to persons with lupus and their relatives (n=3119), rheumatologists (n=517), and arthritis health professionals (AHPs) (n=226) by Lupus Canada, the Canadian Rheumatology Association, and the Arthritis Health Professions Association, respectively. RESULTS: The survey sample comprised 665 (21.3%) persons with lupus, 98 (19.0%) rheumatologists, and 74 (32.7%) AHPs. Among the participants with lupus, 92.4% were female, the average age was 46.8 (SD 12.7) years, 79.2% were Caucasian, and 58.8% were employed. All Canadian provinces and territories were represented. The majority (43.3%) of respondents were from Ontario. Mean disease duration was 10.2 (SD 9.5) years, and 41.9% rated their global assessment as fair or poor. There was high agreement between lupus participants and health care providers regarding disease-specific information topics. All groups rated topics related to lupus, fatigue, medications, and stress as most important. Ratings differed among lupus participants and their health care providers regarding perceived helpfulness of some of the patient tools, such as the option to view test results. Needs differed for persons with lupus based on age, sex, depression, stress, and disease activity. Differences in health care provider needs were based on amount of experience in treating lupus. CONCLUSIONS: Information and support tools needed for persons with lupus and their health care providers were identified. These results will help guide us in the development of a Web-based Lupus Interactive Navigator as an intervention tool to help persons with lupus self-manage their disease and to facilitate heath care providers in clinical management.

Group-based activities with on-site childcare and online support improve glucose tolerance in women within 5 years of gestational diabetes pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Women with gestational diabetes history are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. They face specific challenges for behavioural changes, including childcare responsibilities. The aim of this study is to test a tailored type 2 diabetes prevention intervention in women within 5 years of a pregnancy with gestational diabetes, in terms of effects on weight and cardiometabolic risk factors. METHODS: The 13-week intervention, designed based on focus group discussions, included four group sessions, two with spousal participation and all with on-site childcare. Web/telephone-based support was provided between sessions. We computed mean percentage change from baseline (95% confidence intervals, CI) for anthropometric measures, glucose tolerance (75 g Oral glucose tolerance test), insulin resistance/sensitivity, blood pressure, physical activity, dietary intake, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: Among the 36 enrolled, 27 completed final evaluations. Most attended ≥ 3 sessions (74%), used on-site childcare (88%), and logged onto the website (85%). Steps/day (733 steps, 95% CI 85, 1391) and fruit/vegetable intake (1.5 servings/day, 95% CI 0.3, 2.8) increased. Proportions decreased for convenience meal consumption (-30%, 95% CI -50, -9) and eating out (-22%, 95% CI -44, -0) ≥ 3 times/month. Body mass index and body composition were unchanged. Fasting (-4.9%, 95% CI -9.5, -0.3) and 2-hour postchallenge (-8.0%, 95% CI -15.6, -0.5) glucose declined. Insulin sensitivity increased (ISI 0,120 23.7%, 95% CI 9.1, 38.4; Matsuda index 37.5%, 95% CI 3.5, 72.4). Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR -9.4%, 95% CI -18.6, -0.1) and systolic blood pressure (-3.3%, 95% CI -5.8, -0.8) decreased. CONCLUSIONS: A tailored group intervention appears to lead to improvements in health behaviours and cardiometabolic risk factors despite unchanged body mass index and body composition. This approach merits further study. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01814995).

Ten-year absolute fracture risk and hip bone strength in Canadian women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at risk of osteoporosis (OP) and fractures because of SLE or its treatments. We aimed to determine in women with SLE (1) the prevalence of low bone mass (LBM) in those < 50 years of age and OP in those > 50 years of age; (2) the 10-year absolute fracture risk in those > 40 years of age using the Canadian Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX); (3) bone quality using hip structural analysis (HSA); and (4) the associations between HSA and age, SLE duration, and corticosteroid exposure. METHODS: Women without prior OP fractures were eligible. Bone mineral densities at the hip, spine, and femoral neck were determined using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. OP was determined using World Health Organization definitions for participants aged ≥ 50 years (32.8%), and LBM was defined as Z-scores ≤ -2.0 for those aged < 50 years. For those aged ≥ 40 years (63.5%), the 10-year probabilities of a major fracture (FRAX-Major) and hip fracture (FRAX-Hip) were calculated. FRAX-Major ≥ 20% or Hip ≥ 3% was considered high risk. HSA was done in a subgroup (n = 81) of patients. RESULTS: The study group was 271 women. Mean (SD) age was 43.8 (13.1) years and SLE duration was 11.6 (10.4) years. OP was diagnosed in 14.6% and LBM in 8.8%. FRAX-Major ≥ 20% was seen in 9 patients (5.3%), of whom 6 were taking OP medications. FRAX-Hip ≥ 3% occurred in 16 patients (9.4%), of whom 9 were taking OP medications. Buckling ratio at the left hip narrow neck was positively correlated with FRAX-Major, FRAX-Hip, SLE duration, and duration of corticosteroid use. CONCLUSION: LBM is prevalent in women with SLE who are < 50 years of age. FRAX may identify those at higher risk of fractures while HSA can assess bone structure noninvasively.

The use of micronutrient supplements is not associated with better quality of life and disease activity in Canadian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Associations between the use of micronutrient supplements (MS) and disease activity, quality of life (QOL), and healthcare resource utilization were studied in a Canadian population of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: QOL was assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form. Healthcare resource utilization and disease activity/damage were determined. RESULTS: Of the 259 subjects studied, 53% were MS users and 34% used only calcium/vitamin D. MS users had a higher Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics score and utilized more healthcare resources. Disease activity and QOL were similar between MS users and nonusers. CONCLUSION: MS are frequently used by patients with SLE and are not associated with concomitant benefit on QOL. MS users utilized more healthcare resources.

Patient barriers to pain management may contribute to poor pain control in rheumatoid arthritis.

UNLABELLED: We have examined the characteristics of the pain experience as well as barriers to optimal pain management in 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) consecutively attending a specialist rheumatology practice. Pain was reported to be moderate to severe in 32 (53%) and mild to absent in 28 (47%). Sixty-five percent of all patients, including almost half of those with moderate to severe pain, reported satisfaction with current pain control. The average number of barriers to pain management for individual patients was 2.6 +/- 1.5, with 33 patients (55%) reporting 3 or more barriers. Specific barriers included concern about side effects of medications in 80%, dislike for "too many pills" in 63%, concern about drug interactions in 57%, fear of addiction in 35%, and fear of masking disease in 27% of the patients. More barriers were significantly associated with higher pain level (r = .33, P = .011) and pain intensity on a visual analogue scale (r = .29, P = .024). Other than the regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in 37% of the patients and acetaminophen in 37%, analgesics or other modalities to reduce pain were seldom used. PERSPECTIVE: Moderate to severe pain was present in over half of patients with RA with many reporting the presence of considerable barriers to pain control. These barriers likely contribute to sub optimal pain management. RA patients tolerate pain and use limited mechanisms to deal with the symptom of pain.