Nutrition and quality of life referring to physical abilities – a comparative analysis of a questionnaire study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Objectives: A comparative analysis of opinions on diet and nutrition of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), and quality of life limited to physical abilities in both study groups.

Material and methods: In the period from August to December 2012 an anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out among the patients of the Institute of Rheumatology. The respondents were asked to define their dietary preferences, dietary supplementation, and the level of physical limitations by completing the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The study was carried out with the consent of the Bioethics Committee.

Results: A total of 397 questionnaires were obtained. The majority of respondents were women (77%). 62% of RA patients (165 respondents) had been treated for over 10 years as opposed to OA patients (80 respondents), where the largest group (33%) were patients during their first year. There is a significant difference in the disability level of patients in both compared groups. The average HAQ of RA patients was 1.09 and OA patients – 0.46. A change of dietary habits was declared by 32% of RA patients and by 17% of OA patients (p = 0.049) mostly without consulting a specialist – it concerned mainly limiting the consumption of sweets (30% vs. 21%), a meatless diet: 19% vs. 14%, and a non-dairy diet: 9% vs. 14%.

Conclusions: Regardless of their diagnosis, the respondents believe that the way of eating affects their health. There are visible differences between diet and dietary supplementation, depending on the diagnosis of the disease. Differences were also observed in physical limitations of both patient groups – a higher level of disability was noted among RA patients. It is necessary to continue the topic at the level of clinical trials and medical experiments within the scope of the impact of diet as a supportive element in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.