ArticleClinical rheumatology2020
Cachexia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cohort study.
Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of biologic and target synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs on sarcopenia in spondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rheumatology · 2023Pooled it
- The effect of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs on skeletal muscle mass in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Arthritis research & therapy · 2022Pooled it
- Irisin and myostatin serum levels in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with radiographic progression and lean body mass.Advances in rheumatology (London, England) · 2026Article
- Longitudinal impact of sarcopenia and its components on falls, fractures, and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis: a six-year study.BMC rheumatology · 2025Article
- Longitudinal monitoring of handgrip strength in rheumatoid arthritis: a window into for disease activity-a systematic review with meta-analysis.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2025Article
- Cachexia in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis: Longitudinal observational study of thigh magnetic resonance imaging from osteoarthritis initiative cohort.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2024Observational
- Fly Me to the Immune: Immunonutrition in Rheumatic Diseases.Mediterranean journal of rheumatology · 2023Article
- Changes in physical function over time in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A cohort study.PloS one · 2023Article
- Time to Deal with Rheumatoid Cachexia: Prevalence, Diagnostic Criteria, Treatment Effects and Evidence for Management.Mediterranean journal of rheumatology · 2022Review
- Interaction effect of systemic inflammation and modifiable rheumatoid cachexia risk factors on resting energy expenditure in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.JCSM clinical reports · 2022Article
- Myostatin Levels and the Risk of Myopenia and Rheumatoid Cachexia in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis.Journal of immunology research · 2022Article
- Morphological Parameters in Quadriceps Muscle Were Associated with Clinical Features and Muscle Strength of Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Body composition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a narrative literature review.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2021Review
- Neglected extra-articular manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis patients with normal body mass index: reduced skeletal muscle overlapping overfat.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
16 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that leads to altered body composition. The loss of lean mass with a preservation or increase in fat mass has been termed rheumatoid cachexia (RC), to contrast with classic cachexia, which is characterized by severe weight loss. There are limited data on the prevalence and progression of cachexia in RA over time, as well as on associated factors. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of cachexia and to determine associations with potential factors.
methodsThis prospective cohort study recruited consecutively patients diagnosed with RA and followed for 1 year. The assessments were performed: clinical features, body composition, and physical function. RC and classic cachexia were assessed by several established diagnostic criteria. The pairwise Student's t test, Chi-square test, and GEE were performed (accepted at p ≤ 0.05).
resultsOf 90 patients recruited, 81 completed the study. Most patients were women (88.9%), and the mean age was 56.5 ± 7.3 years. At baseline, the median DAS28-CRP was 3.0 (IQR, 1.0-3.0), 13.3-30.0% of the included patients had RC, while none met criteria for classic cachexia. The prevalence of cachexia did not change after 12 months. Disease activity status and treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs were significantly associated with changes on body composition and physical function (p < 0.05).
conclusionsIn this cohort, RC was common, while classic cachexia was absent. Disease activity and use of biologic therapies were associated with changes on body composition and physical function, underscoring the importance of aiming for remission when treating RA.
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