Evaluation of Cognitive Functions and Depression among Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis | ||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||
| Article 77, Volume 100, Issue 1, July 2025, Pages 3072-3078 PDF (603.62 K) | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhm.2025.442415 | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints and frequently presents with extra-articular manifestations including respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological problems. Objective: This study aimed to investigate depression prevalence and its contributing factors, as well as the assessment of cognitive functions in elderly RA cases. Subjects and methods: 134 elderly cases with RA were included, with comprehensive documentation of their sociodemographic profiles and clinical features. Cognitive function was assessed utilizing Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was employed to evaluate the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. Rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were performed. Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity score (DAS-28) were assessed. Results: There were 86 females and 48 males with a mean age of 68.13 ±2.4 years, and disease duration of 11.8 ± 5.2 years. 66.4% of RA cases were classified to have cognitive impairment according to MMSE (69.7% mild, 21.3% moderate, and 9% severe degree), while cases with depression accounted for 77.6% of the total with a mean GDS of 7.5 ± 3.3. Disease duration, DAS-28, and ACPA significantly positively correlated with MMSE and GDS (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment and depression were quite common among elderly RA cases. Disease duration and DAS-28 were the main predictors of occurrence of both conditions. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Depression; Rheumatoid arthritis; Cognition; Elderly | ||
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