Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30133186›Full record

SynthesisJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2018

Prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rafaela C E Santo, Kevin Z Fernandes, Priscila S Lora, Lidiane I Filippin, Ricardo M Xavier

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 75 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
75citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
7.4field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

75 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 113 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Respiratory Muscle Strength in Rheumatoid Arthritis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025
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15 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Rafaela C E SantoHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Doenças Autoimunes, Porto Alegre, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-5518-3479
Kevin Z FernandesHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Doenças Autoimunes, Porto Alegre, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-2297-9582
Priscila S LoraHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Doenças Autoimunes, Porto Alegre, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-1543-769X
Lidiane I FilippinHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Doenças Autoimunes, Porto Alegre, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-2043-6162
Ricardo M XavierHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Doenças Autoimunes, Porto Alegre, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-6570-4533
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre · BRUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul · BRCentro Universitário Metodista IPA · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow muscle mass occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis without weight loss; this condition is referred as rheumatoid cachexia. The aim of the current study was to perform a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the rheumatoid cachexia prevalence.

methodsA systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies published in English, between 1994 and 2016, was conducted using MEDLINE (via PubMed) and other relevant sources. Search strategies were based on pre-defined keywords and medical subject headings. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was used to estimate the prevalence, and because studies reported different methods and criteria to estimate body composition and prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia, subgroup analyses were performed. Meta-regression adjusted for the 28-joint disease activity score and disease duration (years) was performed (significance level at P ≤ 0.05).

resultsOf 136 full articles (one duplicate publication) screened for inclusion in the study, eight were included. The estimated overall prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia was 19% [95% confidence interval (CI) 07-33%]. This prevalence was 29% (95% CI 15-46%) when body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. When the diagnostic criteria were fat-free mass index below the 10th percentile and fat mass index above the 25th percentile, rheumatoid cachexia prevalence was 32% (95% CI 14-52%). The 28-joint disease activity score and disease duration had no influence on the estimated prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia (P > 0.05). Most studies were rated as having moderate methodological quality.

conclusionsMeta-analysis showed a prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia of 15-32%, according to different criteria, demonstrating that this condition is a frequent comorbidity of rheumatoid arthritis. To better understand its clinical impact, more studies using standardized definitions and prospective evaluations are urgently needed.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidCachexiaCohort StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPrevalencePublic Health SurveillanceSeverity of Illness IndexCachexiaRheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid cachexiaSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID30133186
PMCPMC6204596
OpenAlexW2888357387

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.