DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i01.046

Pages: 254-257

In a hospital based case control study, in which 50 patients of RA and 50 healthy controls were studied with respect to their demography, disease activity, disease duration and PFT. Mean age of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and controls was 46.86±10.51 and 46.68±10.65 years respectively. Patients and controls were in the age group of 40-49 and 50-59. RA group constituted 16(32%) and control group constituted 6(12%) of smokers (p=0.0016). Mean BMI in the RA patients was significantly lower compared to controls (p=0.027). RA patients had significantly lower mean FVC% compared to controls (p<0.001). Mean FEV1% was also significantly lower in RA patients compared to the controls (p<0.001). Mean FEV1/FVC in RA patients was significantly reduced than in controls (p=0.012). However mean disease duration 5.98±4.3 years showed no significance with PFT abnormality. Also mean DAS28 showed no relation with PFT abnormality. Obstructive and Restrictive pulmonary dysfunction was found in 14(28%) and 19(38%) in RA patients respectively compared to that of 0% and 2(4%) in healthy controls respectively (p<0.001). However use of drugs like Methotrexate, Leflunomide and others in RA patients showed less significance with lung function abnormality.