Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39692736›Full record

ArticleACR open rheumatology2025

Longitudinal Assessment of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Increases in Pain and Their Relationship to Functional Declines and Medication Changes.

Hallie M Altwies, Leah M Santacroce, Javier Marrugo, Jacklyn Stratton, Jack Ellrodt, Robert S Rudin, Daniel H Solomon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ACR open rheumatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Hallie M AltwiesBrigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0996-0339
Leah M SantacroceBrigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8951-2296
Javier MarrugoHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9157-4269
Jacklyn StrattonBrigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Jack EllrodtBrigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5157-5707
Robert S RudinRAND Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts.
Daniel H SolomonBrigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Funding

Rheumatology Research Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveElectronic health applications (apps) allow patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to report patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between visits. However, almost no data exist on patients' report of pain between visits and how that correlates with change in function and/or modifications to medication.

methodsPatients with RA from one rheumatology practice provided data as part of a study of an app. Patients answered PRO short forms using the app, including the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pain interference and physical function questionnaires. Each PRO was answered every eight days. We assessed the frequency of significant worsening in pain using the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) of ≥5 points. Logistic regression assessed whether worsening in pain was associated with functional declines and/or RA medication changes.

resultsAmong 150 patients with RA using the app, 83 patients qualified for analysis; the mean age was 62 years, and 82% were female. The median number of pain interference PROs answered per patient was 37 over 52 weeks. Using the first five pain interference PRO responses as the baseline, 60 (72%) patients experienced worsening of at least the MCID, with a median duration of 16 days. The odds ratio (OR) relating significantly worsening pain to declines in function over the next 42 days was 2.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-6.89). Worsening pain was not significantly associated with changes to RA medication (OR 1.59, 95% CI 0.62-4.17).

conclusionClinically significant increases in pain among patients with RA are commonly associated with reductions in function but not with RA medication changes.

Identifiers

PMID39692736
PMCPMC11707260

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.