FEATURES OF THE CLINICAL COURSE OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

Relevance. Despite great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which have led to a significant improvement in the prognosis of many patients, the fundamental medical problems of this pathology – restoring the quality of life and reducing mortality to the population level – are far from being resolved. The purpose of the study was to study the features of the clinical and functional parameters (DAS28, VAS, FC) of RA in the early and advanced course of the disease. Materials and methods of the study. The results of a survey of 103 patients with RA in the early and advanced stages of the disease were included, a comparative assessment of the disease activity was performed according to the DAS28 index, the level of pain in the affected joints was assessed on the VAS scale and the level of functional disorders in the joints (FNS). Research results. Studies have shown that patients in group I were characterized by more severe FNS compared to patients in group II (p<0.001). The pain intensity according to the VAS scale was also 20% higher in patients of group I compared with group II (p<0.001). Disease activity according to DAS28 was higher in patients of group I compared with group II (p<0.01). Conclusion. Thus, the analysis of the main clinical indicators of the disease clearly showed a more severe and prolonged course of the disease in patients with advanced RA compared with patients with early RA.