Health-related quality of life among people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study of disease burden and time since diagnosis

RMDs significantly impact HRQoL, with substantial variability across disease categories and time since diagnosis. While the cross-sectional nature of the study does not capture trajectories across stages of disease progression, the significant and differential by disease category impairment in HRQoL at the early stages emphasize the need for disease-specific, multidisciplinary care approaches and highlight the critical importance of early diagnosis and optimized management to mitigate the long-term impact of RMD.