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The Symptoms in Persons At Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis (SPARRA) questionnaire: predicting clinical arthritis
L van Boheemen1,2, M M Ter Wee3, M Falahee4
1Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam UMC, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
|September 29, 2022
Summary
Certain symptoms like joint swelling and fatigue can help predict rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development in at-risk individuals. Further research is needed to understand differences in predictive symptoms between seropositive and seronegative groups.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Clinical Prediction Models
Background:
- Identifying individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is crucial for early intervention.
- Symptom patterns in at-risk populations require further definition to improve predictive accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if self-reported symptoms can predict clinical arthritis development in individuals at risk for RA.
- To investigate potential differences in predictive symptoms between seropositive and seronegative at-risk individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from four international cohorts (Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Switzerland) with at-risk individuals.
- Administered the Symptoms in Persons At Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis (SPARRA) questionnaire.
- Employed stepwise forward selection to develop prediction models for arthritis development.
Main Results:
- Of 214 participants, 27% developed clinical arthritis within a median of 7 months.
- Four symptoms predicted arthritis development: joint swelling, side-to-side joint pain, pins and needles sensation, and fatigue (predicting non-arthritis).
Conclusions:
- Specific symptoms offer valuable insights into estimating an individual's RA risk.
- Further investigation is warranted to explore disparities in predictive symptoms between seropositive and seronegative at-risk individuals.
- Future research should assess symptom changes over time and the utility of the SPARRA tool for optimizing rheumatologist referrals.
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