Comorbid conditions and their influence on neurological manifestations in connective tissue diseases: A cross-sectional study

Patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs) experience a heightened risk of comorbidities. This study seeks to examine the connection between diseases tied to neurological symptoms in individuals with CTDs, such as Sjogren’s syndrome (SS), Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This cross-sectional study involved 251 adult patients diagnosed with RA, SLE, or SS according to established criteria (2016 ACR/EULAR for SS, 2019 ACR/EULAR for SLE, 2010 ACR/EULAR for RA). Data on demographics, comorbidities, and neurological symptoms were gathered using standardized checklists and medical history reviews. Statistical analysis utilized Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, with significance defined at a p-value less than 0.05. The analysis was conducted using SPSS. Among the 251 patients, 174 were diagnosed with RA and had a mean age of 52.64 years, 53 had SLE with a mean age of 44.27 years, and 24 had SS with a mean age of 39.96 years. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were the most frequent comorbidities in RA patients. In contrast, hypothyroidism was the most common in SLE and SS patients. Neurological symptoms, such as limb paresthesia, depressive symptoms, and sleeping difficulties, were common across all groups. Headache displayed a significant difference among the three conditions (p-value=0.025). Comorbid disorders, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, and hypothyroidism, are independently and strongly associated with neurological symptoms in patients with CTDs. This finding emphasizes the importance of focused clinical attention.