FRI0055 AN EQUATION FOR ESTIMATED CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS IS NEEDED

Background RA patients are deconditioned and on average have decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, peak oxygen uptake) compared to the general population (1). This may contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because CRF is associated with cardiovascular health, it is important to assess. For the general population, various equations exist for estimation of CRF (eCRF) without the need of a resource-intensive cardiopulmonary exercise test. Objectives Compare eCRF of people without RA to eCRF of RA patients, using recognized equations for eCRF (2,3) based on gender, age, resting heart rate, waist circumference and self-reported physical activity. Methods Among participants with self-reported RA in the second and third surveys of the Norwegian population-based Nord-Trondelag Health Study (HUNT2 and 3)(4), RA patients were identified from hospital case files using standardized diagnostic criteria (5). The mean eCRF of participants with and without RA were calculated and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) compared. Conclusion The eCRF CIs of RA patients and participants without RA were overlapping in all age categories except for men aged 60-69 years in HUNT 3 (Table1). This is contradictory to previous findings where RA patients were deconditioned compared to healthy controls (1). A probable explanation is that equations for eCRF were developed from healthy populations, and therefore overestimate eCRF in RA patients. For better CVD risk management including CRF as an important risk factor, an equation for eCRF developed specifically for RA patients is needed. References [1] Munsterman T, et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2012;13:202. [2] Nes BM, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014;46(6):1159-65. [3] Nauman J, et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(2):218-27. [4] Krokstad S, et al. Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42(4):968-77. [5] Videm V, et al. J Rheumatol. 2017;44(8):1134-41 Disclosure of Interests None declared