TY  - JOUR
A1  - Drosselmeyer, Julia
A1  - Jacob, Louis
A1  - Rathmann, Wolfgang
A1  - Rapp, Michael Armin
A1  - Kostev, Karel
T1  - Depression risk in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in Germany
JF  - Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation
N2  - The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and its risk factors in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated in German primary care practices. Longitudinal data from general practices (n=1072) throughout Germany were analyzed. Individuals initially diagnosed with RA (2009-2013) were identified, and 7301 patients were included and matched (1:1) to 7301 controls. The primary outcome measure was the initial diagnosis of depression within 5 years after the index date in patients with and without RA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for confounders. The mean age was 72.2 years (SD: 7.6 years). A total of 34.9 % of patients were men. Depression diagnoses were present in 22.0 % of the RA group and 14.3 % of the control group after a 5-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model, RA was a strong risk factor for the development of depression (HR: 1.55, p < 0.001). There was significant interaction of RA and diagnosed inflammatory polyarthropathies (IP) (RA*IP interaction: p < 0.001). Furthermore, dementia, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with a higher risk of developing depression (p values < 0.001). The risk of depression is significantly higher in patients with late-onset RA than in patients without RA for subjects treated in primary care practices in Germany. RA patients should be screened routinely for depression in order to ensure improved treatment and management.
KW  - Late-onset rheumatoid arthritis
KW  - Depression
KW  - Primary care
KW  - Risk factors
KW  - Germany
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-016-1387-2
SN  - 0962-9343
SN  - 1573-2649
VL  - 26
IS  - 2
SP  - 437
EP  - 443
PB  - Springer
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  -