Background/Purpose: Gender differences in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are well-established, with women more prone to developing RA than men. However, understanding the impact of gender on disease prevalence, etiology, progression, and outcomes is crucial. This study aims to assess the current trends in demographic and clinical characteristics, disease activity, duration, deformities, extra-articular manifestations, and comorbid illnesses among male patients with RA in North India

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on male patients with RA attending a Rheumatology outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in North India from April 2015 to April 2023. The inclusion criterion was male patients meeting the ACR/EULAR criteria for RA. Medical records were reviewed for demographic details, disease activity scores, extra-articular manifestations, and comorbidities. Descriptive statistical methods were employed to summarize the data.

Results: The study enrolled 275 male patients with a mean age of 45.3 ± 11.1 years. A family history of RA was noted in 10.3% of patients. The median swollen and tender joint counts were 4.0 and 8.0, respectively. Common extra-articular manifestations included subcutaneous nodules (23.6%), Sjogren’s syndrome (32.6%), and interstitial lung disease (20.2%). The median VAS score was 40, and the median DAS was 5.4, with 53.7% of patients having severe disease activity. Disease duration was longer than 2 years for 51.9% of patients. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was positive in 62.4% of patients, and cyclic citrullinated peptide was present in 39.4% of patients. Osteoporosis (22.1%) and hypertension (23.2%) were the most common comorbidities. Bilateral wrist deformities were prevalent in 42.5% of cases.

Conclusion: Overall observations indicate that, in our cohort, male patients with RA have severe disease with more deformities, with a significant number of patients having a disease duration of more than 2 years and presenting late. The presence of subcutaneous nodules is the most common extra-articular manifestation. The study highlights the high prevalence of RF-positive and cyclic citrullinated peptides, as well as common comorbidities such as osteoporosis and hypertension. Wrist deformities were found to be prevalent joint deformities among male RA patients. These findings underscore the need for early diagnosis and targeted management strategies for male RA patients and the need for studies in a larger population to understand their unique clinical characteristics and comorbidities

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/assessment-of-current-trends-in-demographic-and-clinical-characteristics-of-male-patients-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-north-india/