No race disparities found in rheumatoid arthritis
Though some research has suggested there are racial differences in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis, a new study finds that the disease seems to affect men similarly regardless of race.
Researchers found that among 573 male veterans in their mid-60s with rheumatoid arthritis, white and African-American men had similar measures of disease severity. The exceptions were that black men tended to have less tenderness in the joints and fewer rheumatoid nodules—growths under the skin usually seen in more-advanced cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
Beyond this, however, there was “little evidence” of significant differences in how rheumatoid arthritis affects black and white men, the study authors report in the Journal of Rheumatology.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joints, leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. Over time, the disease can lead to serious joint damage and disability.
While relatively few studies have looked at the relationship between race and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, some have suggested that differences may exist. One small study, for example, found that black men tended to have more disability than white men.
For the current study, researchers led by Dr. Ted R. Mikuls of the Omaha VA Medical Center in Nebraska used data from a registry of U.S. veterans with rheumatoid arthritis.
Among the 79 black men and 494 white men in the registry, there were no clear racial disparities in symptom severity, physical limitations, joint swelling, general well-being or disease outcomes, the researchers found. The age of disease onset was also similar in the two groups - about 51 years old for both races.
However, as mentioned, black men were about half as likely to have rheumatoid nodules and reported fewer tender joints. The question of whether these differences translate into “clinically meaningful” differences in patients’ long-term health requires further study, the researchers note.
For now, they conclude, the results offer “little evidence to support the existence of important racial/ethnic differences in (rheumatoid arthritis) expression.”
SOURCE: Journal of Rheumatology, July 2007.
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