Spirometrical changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

الملخص EN

Rheumatoid arthritis is relatively common disease with many extra articular manifestations ; one of these manifestations is respiratory involvement that may occur by RA itself or as a side effect to pharmacological treatment.

The study was designated to estimate the difference in Spiro metrical results between RA patients and control group.

The cross-sectional / control study was conducted in rheumatology unit in Marjan teaching hospital in AL-Hilla city from 12th ∕ November / 2011 to 31th / May / 2012.

The total number of subjects involved in this study was 200 (140 patients & 60 healthy control persons).

Spirometrical test {Forced vital capacity (FVC),forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), Forced vital capacity / forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 / FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF),forced expiratory flow 25-75 % (FEF25-75 %) and its subdivision} was done to all patients and control group, All spirometrical parameters were significantly lower in RA patients than in control.

This indicates that respiratory involvement is common in RA even in symptom-free patients.