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James F. Fries

Bio: James F. Fries is an academic researcher from Stanford University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Rheumatoid arthritis & Arthritis. The author has an hindex of 100, co-authored 369 publications receiving 83589 citations. Previous affiliations of James F. Fries include University of Saskatchewan & National Institutes of Health.


Papers
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Journal Article
TL;DR: The compression of morbidity hypothesis envisions a potential reduction of lifetime morbidity and medical care costs by compression between an increasing average age at the onset of infirmity and the age at death, increasing also, but more slowly.
Abstract: The nature of the international health burden, its changes, its problems, and even its solutions over the next quarter century are surprisingly apparent at this time and are more positive than often supposed. The average period of lessened physical status is likely to shorten, and the need for and cost of hospitalization in the later life of the individual is likely to decrease. The period of infirm physical status will become increasingly compressed between the increasing age at onset of infirmity and the genetically determined lifespan of the individual. Illness at the end of life will come relatively suddenly, be multi-factorial in cause, will be highly resistant to further medical intervention, and will be characterized by increasing inevitability. Implications for retirement age, availability of useful work for older individuals, and programmes designed to stimulate rather than support are discussed.

4 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A finding of “normal” mortality might imply that more recently used treatment strategies are reversing the excessive mortality in RA previously observed, as earlier (and older and larger) studies have shown standardised mortality ratios of two to three.
Abstract: The paper “Mortality in rheumatoid arthritis patients with disease onset in the 1980s” is of considerable interest.1 A decrease in mortality risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in more recent years would be important, even if only in the first 10 years of RA. However, this inception cohort differs from those previously published so that no direct comparison is possible. As earlier (and older and larger) studies have shown standardised mortality ratios of two to three, a finding of “normal” mortality might imply that more recently used treatment strategies are reversing the excessive mortality in RA previously observed. Yet, even at first perusal, there are a lot of deaths in this series of relatively young people. …

4 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jun 1988
TL;DR: An overview of the American Rheumatism Association Medical Information System (ARAMIS), a national database and database management system containing parallel longitudinal clinical data sets from 17 rheumatic disease centers, is provided.
Abstract: The authors provide an overview of the American Rheumatism Association Medical Information System (ARAMIS), a national database and database management system containing parallel longitudinal clinical data sets from 17 rheumatic disease centers. 22 000 patients and 183000 observation time points are represented. The database contains measures of five dimensions-death, disability, discomfort, iatrogenic, and economic-and subdivisions of each dimension that provide a measure of the impact of the disease. The database management system is the MEDLOG time oriented database statistical software system. It runs on MOS-DOS-compatible microcomputers MEDLOG's file limits and abilities are described, and future directions for ARAMIS and MEDLOG are briefly covered. >

4 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that the societal perspective should also recognize that discount rates for health outcomes are largely irrelevant and that even negative discount rates have crucial relevance.

4 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: 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).
Abstract: 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.

19,409 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: 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 and showed gains in sensitivity and specificity.
Abstract: 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.

14,272 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: In the early 1990s, the National Kidney Foundation (K/DOQI) developed a set of clinical practice guidelines to define chronic kidney disease and to classify stages in the progression of kidney disease.

10,265 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In 1992, Piette and colleagues suggested that the ACR revised criteria be reevaluated in light of the above discoveries, and the presence and clinical associations or antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with SLE was suggested.
Abstract: 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).

9,999 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia are widespread pain in combination with 2) tenderness at 11 or more of the 18 specific tender point sites, and no exclusions are made for the presence of concomitant radiographic or laboratory abnormalities.
Abstract: 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.

9,289 citations