ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GENERALIZED PAIN HYPERSENSITIVITY, DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objectives: To describe generalized pain hypersensitivity in the study population using the Generalized Pain Questionnaire (GPQ) and to investigate its association with disease activity and functional disability. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 81 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria who were receiving treatment at the Centre for Rheumatology, Bach Mai Hospital, from November 2025 to March 2026. Results: The prevalence of generalized pain hypersensitivity among the study participants, as assessed using the GPQ, was 17.3% (14/81 patients). This group of patients was younger, exhibited higher disease activity, required more frequent corticosteroid use, and had higher Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) scores. All associations were statistically significant. Conclusion: Early screening for generalized pain hypersensitivity is very important in pain assessment and treatment orientation to improve patients’ quality of life.
Keywords
Rheumatoid arthritis, Generalized pain, Functional disability, Generalized Pain Questionnaire
Article Details
References
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