Age and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologic agents.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the relationship between age and quality of life (QOL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after treatment with biologic agents.

METHODS: We recruited 153 patients with RA treated with biologic agents at three hospitals of Showa University from 2005 to 2016 for this retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups-aged 65 years and older (elderly group) and aged under 65 years (adult group). The primary outcome was the change in QOL over 6 months. We measured QOL using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form-36 (SF-36), the physical component scale (PCS), and the mental component scale (MCS).

RESULTS: There were 94 adult patients (61.4%) and 59 elderly patients (38.5%). Adjusted for sex, disease duration, Disease Activity Score 28 erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28ESR), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and complications including interstitial lung disease, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease, there was a significant difference in PCS changes in 6 months between the groups (regression coefficients -7.25; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -11.7 to -2.77; p = .0018). There was no significant difference in MCS.

CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with RA may have more difficulty in achieving a satisfactory QOL after treatment with biologic agents.