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Literature review of rheumatoid arthritis in India
Author(s) -
Handa Rohini,
Rao U.R.K.,
Lewis Juliana F. M.,
Rambhad Gautam,
Shiff Susan,
Ghia Canna J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/1756-185x.12621
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , epidemiology , rheumatoid arthritis , quality of life (healthcare) , medline , population , physical therapy , data extraction , environmental health , nursing , political science , law
Aim Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) can lead to severe disability. This literature review assessed the descriptive epidemiology, comorbidities and extra‐articular manifestations, functioning abilities and quality of life, and treatment patterns of RA patients in India. Method A literature review of all observational studies published from 1985 to 2012 was conducted using MEDLINE and Embase. Quantitative and qualitative findings were summarized. Results Twenty‐eight studies were identified for data extraction. Seven described the descriptive epidemiology of RA , 14 described comorbidities and extra‐articular manifestations, nine described the functioning abilities and quality of life among patients, and 10 provided information on treatments. Conclusion This review is confined to studies with small sample sizes, cross‐sectional designs, and/or clinical settings that may not be representative of the entire Indian population. There is a need for more robust studies, as conclusions for the entire Indian RA population cannot be drawn from only the current observational studies.