The revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were formulated from a computerized analysis of 262 contemporary, consecutively studied patients with RA and 262 control subjects with rheumatic diseases other than RA (non-RA). The new criteria are as follows: 1) morning stiffness in and around joints lasting at least 1 hour before maximal improvement; 2) soft tissue swelling (arthritis) of 3 or more joint areas observed by a physician; 3) swelling (arthritis) of the proximal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal, or wrist joints; 4) symmetric swelling (arthritis); 5) rheumatoid nodules; 6) the presence of rheumatoid factor; and 7) radiographic erosions and/or periarticular osteopenia in hand and/or wrist joints. Criteria 1 through 4 must have been present for at least 6 weeks. Rheumatoid arthritis is defined by the presence of 4 or more criteria, and no further qualifications (classic, definite, or probable) or list of exclusions are required. In addition, a "classification tree" schema is presented which performs equally as well as the traditional (4 of 7) format. The new criteria demonstrated 91-94% sensitivity and 89% specificity for RA when compared with non-RA rheumatic disease control subjects.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/art.1780310302

The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis.

The 1971 preliminary criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were revised and updated to incorporate new immunologic knowledge and improve disease classification. The 1982 revised criteria include fluorescence antinuclear antibody and antibody to native DNA and Sm antigen. Some criteria involving the same organ systems were aggregated into single criteria. Raynaud's phenomenon and alopecia were not included in the 1982 revised criteria because of low sensitivity and specificity. The new criteria were 96% sensitive and 96% specific when tested with SLE and control patient data gathered from 18 participating clinics. When compared with the 1971 criteria, the 1982 revised criteria showed gains in sensitivity and specificity.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/art.1780251101

The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus

K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines for chronic kidney disease: Evaluation, classification, and stratification

In 1982, the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Criteria Committee of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)published revised criteria for the classification of systemiclupus erythematosus (SLE) (1). During the ensuing decade several investigators, including Drs. Graham Hughes and Donato Alarcon-Segovia, among others, have described the presence and clinical associations or antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with SLE, as well as the occurrence of theprimary antiphospholipid syndrome (2-5). In 1992, Piette and colleagues suggested that the ACR revised criteria be reevaluated in light of the above discoveries (6).

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/art.1780400928

Updating the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus.

To develop criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia, we studied 558 consecutive patients: 293 patients with fibromyalgia and 265 control patients. Interviews and examinations were performed by trained, blinded assessors. Control patients for the group with primary fibromyalgia were matched for age and sex, and limited to patients with disorders that could be confused with primary fibromyalgia. Control patients for the group with secondary-concomitant fibromyalgia were matched for age, sex, and concomitant rheumatic disorders. Widespread pain (axial plus upper and lower segment plus left- and right-sided pain) was found in 97.6% of all patients with fibromyalgia and in 69.1% of all control patients. The combination of widespread pain and mild or greater tenderness in greater than or equal to 11 of 18 tender point sites yielded a sensitivity of 88.4% and a specificity of 81.1%. Primary fibromyalgia patients and secondary-concomitant fibromyalgia patients did not differ statistically in any major study variable, and the criteria performed equally well in patients with and those without concomitant rheumatic conditions. The newly proposed criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia are 1) widespread pain in combination with 2) tenderness at 11 or more of the 18 specific tender point sites. No exclusions are made for the presence of concomitant radiographic or laboratory abnormalities. At the diagnostic or classification level, the distinction between primary fibromyalgia and secondary-concomitant fibromyalgia (as defined in the text) is abandoned.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/art.1780330203

The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee.

https://www.jrheum.org/content/jrheum/30/6/1130.full.pdf

Patient self-management in arthritis? Yes!

We sought to determine whether employed patients with HIV infection reported more days unable to work than similar patients without HIV infection. We did not consider whether HIV infection resulted in job loss. Cross-sectional data on 884 employed patients from five physician-sites in California were drawn from the AIDS Time-Oriented Health Outcome Study (ATHOS). An econometric 2-part model with a number of covariates including age, race, education, and an instrumental variable reflecting the probability of any employment was constructed to provide a comparison between three categories of patients, HIV -negative; HIV positive but not yet AIDS; and AIDS. The results suggested no statistically significant difference between the comparison patients (HIV -negative) and the patients with HIV but not AIDS for days unable to work. Employed patients with AIDS, however, reported roughly 5.1 (one week) more days unable to work out of the prior three months than either the comparison patients or the patients with HI...

Absenteeism and HIV infection

Reducing the need and demand for medical services.

The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) was originally developed in 1978 by James F. Fries, MD, and colleagues at Stanford University. It was one of the first self-report functional status (disability) measures and has become the dominant instrument in many disease areas, including arthritis. It is widely used throughout the world and has become a mandated outcome measure for clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis and some other diseases.

Health Assessment Questionnaire

A system of postmarketing surveillance of antirheumatic drugs employing prospective protocol based consecutive patient cohorts is described, together with use of recursive partitioning techniques for statistical adjustment for potentially confounding variables. An analysis of 2 side effects (purpura and upper abdominal pain) is presented. Purpura was found to be associated with age, sex, disease duration, and amount of disability. The combination of aspirin and prednisone was associated with the highest prevalence of purpura. Upper abdominal pain also varied across drug classes. Within the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug category, there were clinically important differences in the relative prevalence of upper gastrointestinal pain between specific drugs.

James F. Fries

Papers

Patient self-management in arthritis? Yes!

Absenteeism and HIV infection

Reducing the need and demand for medical services.

Health Assessment Questionnaire

Postmarketing surveillance in rheumatology: analysis of purpura and upper abdominal pain.