QUALITY OF LIFE IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS PATIENTS-ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE ACTIVITY AND DIAGNOSTIC DELAY TIME.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics oj patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to examine their effects on quality of life. Material and Method: 37 patients with PsA and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. To determine disease activity, clinical [disease activity score (DAS28), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)] and laboratory [Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)] parameters were used. To evaluate quality of life, the Nottingham health profile (NHP) and Short form-36 (SF-36) were used. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43.9±11.2 years. The diagnostic delay time had a median of 1 year (min-max-0-18). We examined NHP. NHP scores showed that NHP pain, physical activity, tiredness and social isolation of PsA patients were higher than for control subjects. We evaluated SF-36. SF-36 scores indicated that physical function, physical role limitation, body pain, overall health, vitality and emotional role limitation were significantly decreased in PsA patients compared to control subjects. Correlation analysis was performed; Statistically significant correlations were observed between NHP scores (positive correlation) and SF-36 scores (negative correlation) with disease activity parameters (DAS-28, BASDAI, ESR and CRP). Furthermore, statistically significant correlations were observed between NHP scores (positive correlation) and SF-36 scores (negative correlation) with diagnostic delay time. Conclusion: We determined that quality of life was less in patients with PsA compared to control subjects. In addition, we have also found that disease activity and prolongation of diagnostic delay are associated with quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]