Clinical profile, level of affection and therapeutic management of patients with osteoarthritis in primary care: The Spanish multicenter study EVALÚA.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical profile, degree of involvement and management in patients with knee, hip or hand osteoarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Observational study (health centers from 14 autonomous regions, n=363 primary care physicians), involving patients with clinical and/or radiological criteria for osteoarthritis from the American College of Rheumatology, consecutively selected (n=1,258). Sociodemographic variables, clinical and radiological findings, comorbidity and therapeutic management were analyzed.

RESULTS

Mean age was 68.0±9.5 years old; 77.8% were women and 47.6% obese. Distribution by location was: 84.3% knee, 23.4% hip, 14.7% hands. All patients reported pain. The most frequent radiographic Kellgren-Lawrence grade was stage 3 for knee and hip (42.9% and 51.9%, respectively), and 3 (37.2%) and 2 (34.5%) for hip. Time since onset of osteoarthritis symptoms was 9.4±7.5 years, with a mean age at onset of around 60 years old and a family history of osteoarthritis in 66.0%. The most frequent comorbidities were: hypertension (55.1%), depression/anxiety (24.7%) and gastroduodenal diseases (22.9%). A total of 97.6% of the patients received pharmacological treatment, with oral analgesics (paracetamol) (70.5%) and oral NSAIDs (67.9%) being the most frequent drugs. Bilateral osteoarthritis was present in 76.9% of patients with knee osteoarthritis, 59.3% in hip and 94.7% in hands. Female gender and time since onset were associated with bilateral knee and hip osteoarthritis.

CONCLUSIONS

The profile of the osteoarthritis patient is female, >65 years old, overweight/obese, with comorbidity, frequent symptoms and moderate radiologic involvement. Most of patients had bilateral osteoarthritis, associated with female gender and time since onset of disease. Paracetamol was the most common pharmacological treatment.