Disturbed Quality of Sleep in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Reality or Myth?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the quality of sleep and factors associated with poor sleep quality among patients suffering from
rheumatoid arthritis.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Rheumatology Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug
2019 to Apr 2020.

Methodology: Patient of rheumatoid arthritis who fulfilled American College of Rheumatology criteria of 2010 were included in study. Quality of sleep was determined in all the patients with the help of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Age gender, duration of rheumatoid arthritis and residual pain symptoms were correlated with the presence of poor quality of sleep.

Results: Mean age of the study participants was 33.37±7.822 years. 56(22.4%) patients were male while 194(77.6%) were
female. 106(42.4%) patients had good sleep quality when assessed on Pittsburgh sleep quality index while 144(57.6%) had
poor sleep quality. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that long duration of illness and residual pain symptoms had a statistically significant association with poor sleep quality the patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (p-value <0.05).

Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was a consistent finding among patients of rheumatoid arthritis which is usually not part of
routine symptoms screened in rheumatology clinics. Patients without adequate response to treatment and having residual
symptoms were more at risk of having sleep problems in addition to those with long standing illness.