| Learning Objective #1: Describe differences in heart rate variability, pain, and fatigue in women with and without rheumatoid arthritis | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss why heart rate variability can be used as an outcome measure in menopausal women with and without rheumatoid arthritis |
Methods: This descriptive/comparative study consisted of a sample of 38 menopausal women (RA and healthy) with a mean age of 57.8 (SD 8.8). Subjective measures included pain (present pain, average pain, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ]), fatigue, and depression. After lying quietly for 15 minutes, heart rate was measured for 15 minutes with paced breathing to obtain data for the analysis of HRV.
Results: Women with RA were older and experienced more depression than healthy women. Given that these variables affect HRV, age and depression were used as covariates in all analyses. The standard deviation of the RR interval (SD RR), a measure of HRV, was significantly lower in RA women. Present and average pain ratings were significantly higher in women with RA. Affective pain also was higher in women with RA, but not sensory pain on the MPQ. Many of the healthy women had moderate pain levels. Fatigue was moderate in women but did not differ by group.
Conclusions: After controlling for age and depression, menopausal RA women had lower HRV compared to healthy women, perhaps indicating a higher cardiovascular risk. Women with RA had moderate pain levels that were higher than healthy women, in spite of the medications that RA women were taking. The differences in sensory and affective pain in menopausal women with RA should be further explored. Fatigue was moderate in both groups of women.