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[Rheumatoid arthritis in the elderly: ten cases report]
Besma Ben Dhaou1, Fatma Boussema, Zohra Aydi
1Hopital Habib Thameur, Tunisie.
La Tunisie Medicale
|June 14, 2012
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the elderly presents similarly to younger patients, with comparable treatment effectiveness and safety. Management should utilize stringent targets for optimal outcomes in older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently affects the elderly population.
- Prognosis for elderly RA patients is not worse than for younger individuals.
- Conventional RA treatments are equally effective and safe in elderly patients.
Observation:
- A retrospective study analyzed ten elderly RA patients (≥65 years) over 4.5 years.
- The cohort included 8 women and 2 men with an average age of 70.6 years.
- Disease onset was progressive in 70% of cases, with inflammatory syndrome present in 70%.
Findings:
- Rheumatoid factor was positive in 80% of patients.
- 50% of patients had advanced radiological disease (Steinbrocker stages III-IV).
- All patients received analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs; 70% initiated long-term therapy with favorable outcomes.
Implications:
- Late-onset RA is a heterogeneous condition with diverse clinical presentations.
- Individualized treatment approaches are necessary for elderly RA patients.
- Stringent management targets, similar to those for younger patients, should be applied to elderly RA.
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